


Elemental Change

by nerdgirl181



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21588604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdgirl181/pseuds/nerdgirl181
Summary: What would happen if there was a new type of magic introduced into the world? What would happen if the fate of the world didn't rest on Harry but rather another? Can one person change the course of destiny?
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape/OC, Sirius Black/OC
Kudos: 4





	1. The Ballroom

**Author's Note:**

> Song that inspired my OC: A Little Wicked by Valerie Broussard

The ballroom at Malfoy manor was silent. Torches flickered in sconces along the wall as moonlight filtered in through the windows illuminating the room. Dark figures lined the walls while the center of the room was left open. A lone figure was seated in the center. Lord Voldemort sat in a large throne-like chair. Curled around a chair leg, climbing up the back rested the body of a gigantic snake. No one moved except Voldemort who was slowly petting the top of the snake’s head. The group seemed to be waiting for something. After what seemed like hours, footsteps could be heard from outside the ballroom’s doors. The double doors burst open with a bang revealing a pair of people. A tall man with a billowing cloak yanked a handcuffed woman into the room. 

"Ah Severus, so good of you to join us," hissed Voldemort, a cruel smile crossing his face. "And you brought a guest."

Severus Snape walked towards where Voldemort was seated, continuing to drag the young woman. A few feet in front of him, Snape stopped. With a final shove, he flung the young woman to the ground at Voldemort’s feet. 

With a bow, Snape spoke, “The plan worked perfectly, my Lord.” 

Voldemort laughed, “As I knew it would, Severus. She has become predictable, her compassion making her weak.” With a flick of his wand, the woman is dragged into a kneeling position. “You have done well, Severus. Lord Voldemort is pleased.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Snape replies with a bow. 

“You shall be rewarded for this Severus. Lord Voldemort always rewards his devoted servants” 

“Thank you, my lord,” Snape says again with another bow. 

Voldemort gives a dismissive nod and rises to his feet.   
“Friends, tonight we have a guest amongst us. For many months, a plan has been in progress. Tonight, this plan has paid off.” 

With another flick of his wand, the hood covering the young woman's face is thrown back. Gasps fill the room as the identity of the woman is revealed. 

“Yes, my friends, it has finally happened. The Elemental has been captured”


	2. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's travel back to the beginning now. Back to the Summer of 1994...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading my first chapter! This is the first fanfiction I have ever written and I’m so grateful at the response. First and foremost, I need to thank my best friend and beta, Shelby, for helping me with this endeavor. Second, I wanted to give a little explanation about my idea of the powers my main character will have. I am a huge fan of the TV show Avatar the Last Airbender and have been thinking a lot recently about what would happen if the two different styles of fantasy were to mix. After spending way too look daydreaming about the plot, I decided to just dive in and write the story. I plan on this being a multi-chapter fic spanning Harry’s 4-7th year. Be warned that my OC’s presence will make the plot very different from the cannon. That being said, I want to thank you again for your support and I hope you enjoy ‘Elemental Change’. 

Summer of 1994

Spinner’s End was quiet in the late afternoon light of summer. The dingy street was empty but for a crumpled bit of paper blowing down the sidewalk. For all intents and purposes, it was just another normal day. But that was all about to change.

While to an outsider, Spinner’s End might seem uninteresting, a truly unique man resided in the last house on the lane. The man lived a quiet existence, rarely seen by his neighbors. On this night, he was to be found absorbed in reading the latest Potion’s Monthly. Had he not been so absorbed, he might have heard the tell-tale sound of a portkey. Only when his protection spells alerted him of a visitor did he lookup. Drawing his wand quickly, he placed the magazine down and stood. He was immediately suspicious because his place of residence was not a well-known fact. When the knock on the front door finally sounded, he was standing in the hall, ready to answer. While his house was warded against any who might mean him harm, he was still wary as he walked to the door. 

Severus Snape peered out the peephole in his door. On his step was a young woman he had never seen before. She was petite with wavy brown hair. Snape examined her more closely and noticed that her clock was in the American wizarding style rather than the British. The woman’s face was calm as she waited for a response. Intrigued and sensing so ill-intent, Snape decided to open the door. 

“Can I help you?” Snape asked, evenly as he cracked open the door. While he knew she meant him no harm, he hadn’t survived as a spy for so many years without being prepared. Therefore hand his wand still out and discreetly pointed at the young women. 

“Hello, Severus” the young woman replied, “I’m sorry to disturb your evening but I have business that is of the utmost importance to discuss with you.” Glancing down at the wand pointed at her, she smiled faintly. “I understand your wariness but please trust me when I say that the fate of the world rests on my discussion with you.” 

At that pronouncement, Snape’s eyes widened slightly. ‘ _Who is this woman?_ ’ He though. ‘ _And how does she know who I am?_ ’. Snape remained unmoving and continued to stare at the young women. His lack of movement seemed to spark something in the woman and her eyes lit up as she spoke again.

“Oh! Excuse my rudeness! I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Alison Saint Clair, Ali for short.” She held her hand out towards him. Snape looked at it bemused before responding. 

“Severus Snape, Ms. Saint Clair but it would seem you already know that.” 

Ali smiled faintly but didn’t respond. Curious against his better judgment, Snape opened the door to allow the women inside. As she passed him, he felt a strange magic brush against him. Not unfriendly but like nothing he had ever felt before. The mystery of this woman continued to build. Closing the door behind her, he moved down the hall towards his study. Entering the room he moved toward the chair he had previously been seated at. The study was rather dingy and dusty. It was obviously not well maintained. On the far wall, was located a fireplace. The other three walls were packed with shelves upon shelves of books. Two dark green armchairs were placed in front of the fireplace. Settling in his chair, Snape gestured for the women to take the other. With a smile in thanks, Ali settled into the chair. 

Snape took the opportunity to examine her more closely. In the firelight, he noticed that her brown hair had streaks of auburn. Her eyes were a rich green that sent a pain through his chest. Shaking his head, he continued his examination. She was dressed in a dark blue American style clock with a black lined hood. Much more tailored than the Brittish counterparts, the clock looked more like a trench coat. Snape was reminded of a book on American wizarding culture he had read that discussed the American’s much stricter rules surrounding No-Mag, as they called them, and wizard interactions. It was logical therefore that wizarding styles had changed to reflect the need to blend in more. He continued to scan her appearance, taking in her black tights and sensible black boots. Finished with his examination, he returned his gaze to the women’s face. She returned his look with a smile. 

“Well,” Snape drawled “You have my attention, Ms. Saint Clair. What is it you need to discuss?”

Ali paused for a moment, seeming to gather her thoughts before she spoke. 

“As I said before, my name is Alison Saint Clair. I’ve come with information that is critical for the defeat of Voldemort”

At the sound of the name, Snape’s eyes widened in shock.

“The Dark Lord is dead, Ms. Saint Clair. He has been for almost 14 years.”

Ali raised an eyebrow at him before responding. “Severus, you and I both know that He is not as dead as the wizarding world would like to believe. Harry Potter might have vanquished him but that is not the same thing as death.”

Startled by this pronouncement, Snape responded, “Even if that is the case, Ms. Saint Clair, the Dark Lord is defeated. I don’t see how you could have any information that might be of any use to me.”

With a sigh, Ali rubbed her face with her hand. Moving her hand away again, she looked at Snape intently. She seemed to be examining him, looking for some bit of elusive information. A long moment stretched between the pair as they looked into each other's eyes. Finally, she seemed satisfied and nodded once. 

“You make an excellent point, Severus. Voldemort is defeated but not for much longer.” She rose slowly and walked to stand in front of the fire with her back towards him. “Within the year, He will rise again.” 

Snape stared dumbly at her back. _How is it possible for her to know this?_ He wondered. Suspicion began to creep over him again and he slowly drew his wand.

“How do you know this?” He asked cooly 

Continuing to face the fire, Ali was silent for a moment. Finally, she turned back around to face him. At her movement, Snape raised his wand towards her. With a bemused look at the wand, Ali finally responded. 

“I know this, Severus, because I am not a normal witch.”

“Are you a seer?” Snape asked with a trace of disdain.

Hearing his distaste, Ali smiled. 

“No,” she replied, “I’m an Elemental.”

Of all the things Snape had been expecting, this had been the last. His mind began to whirl as he searched his memory for everything he had read about Elementals. Not much was known about them, he remembered. Elementals were an incredibly rare type of magic-user. Unlike wizards, they didn’t use spells to wield magic. Instead, they had control over the 5 elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Spirit. In the past thousand years, there were only a handful of documented cases. To his knowledge, there hadn’t been Elemental in over 150 years. Shock washed over him as he looked at the young woman before him with new eyes. 

“Prove it” He demanded.

Sighing, Ali looked at him briefly before nodding. With her right hand, she reached out towards the fireplace. A tiny ball of flames separated and floated gently towards her upturned palm. When it settled in her palm, Ali looked at it intently, furrowing her brow. The tiny ball of flames grew to the size of a quaffle. Snape’s eyes widened in disbelief as Ali began to toss the flame ball back and forth between her hands. 

“Enough” Snape snapped “I believe you”

With another nod, Ali shrunk the flame back to its original size and sent it back into the fireplace. The pair was silent for a long moment. 

“Your spirit gift is foresight,” Snape asked bluntly.

A half-smile graced her lips, “Brilliant as I Saw.” she replied as a response. 

Snape blew out a long breath. An Elemental changed everything. Each Elemental was able to control the 4 basic elements similarly but Spirit was different. Spirit was always unique to the person. He sighed again. _Merlin._ He thought. _This means that what she said about the Dark Lord is true. He truly isn’t dead._ Unconsciously, he rubbed his left arm were the faded Dark Mark was located. 

Ali walked back to her seat and waited patiently while he processed what she had told him. After a few minutes, Snape returned his eyes to hers. 

“So, Ms. Saint Clair, what is the dire information you have for me?” Snape finally asked. 

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small purple stone. Handing it to him she replied, “Take this. It’s a way to contact me” reaching into her pocket again, she pulled out another purple stone. “I cannot tell you much right now as it could change what needs to happen so I will need you to trust me. What I can say is that you need to always carry that with you. It is a two-way communication stone. Hold it in your hand, if you need to pass me a message and think about what you want to tell me. My stone will alert me of the message and I will be able to reply. It is also a way for me to locate you in an emergency.” 

At that, Snape scowled. 

“I know, Severus. But I promise to only use it in an emergency. You have a vital role in the upcoming war. I need to know that you are safe. I promise won’t mistreat you like your masters do.”

Sighing again, Snape nodded in reluctant agreement. 

Ali continued, “I must also ask that you keep my presence here in this Britain a secret. At the end of this school year, there will come a time when my presence will need to be revealed to certain people but until then, it is of the utmost importance that no one knows I am here. I can’t tell you the exact details of that point in time but I can tell you that it will be obvious to you that I am needed.”

Again, Snape reluctantly nodded tucking the stone into his pocket. 

“Is there anything else I can help you with, Ms. Saint Clair?” He asked finally.

Smiling, she responded, “Yes, you can call me Ali.”


	3. The Triwizard Cup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali and Severus develop a friendship over the year but the final task is looming and Snape can sense something big is going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! Hope everyone is having a lovely week. I've really been feeling this story so I seem to be able to just sit down and crank out the chapters. Hopefully, that is a trend that continues. Just a quick note on the next chapter. I used bits of the original text. It is a different font so it can be distinguished from my writing.

Hi again! Hope everyone is having a lovely week. I've really been feeling this story so I seem to be able to just sit down and crank out the chapters. Hopefully, that is a trend that continues. Just a quick note on the next chapter. I used bits of the original text. It is a different font so it can be distinguished from my writing.

**Chapter 2**

Ali left soon after but Snape found it impossible to focus again. He pondered what this new development might mean and what the mysterious woman had planned. Pulling out the stone she had given him, he examined it closely. Again, he felt the unusual magic coming from it which he now realized was Ali's elemental signature. Staring into the fire, Snape became lost in thought, the stone held loosely in his hand.

 _This has to be one of the strangest nights I've ever had._ Snape thought to himself. _An Elemental, I never would have expected to meet one. And she wants my help._ Sighing, he rubs his face with the hand not holding the stone.

" _Remember I can hear what you're thinking when you hold the stone._ " a voice said

Snape jerked upright almost dropping the stone.

" _Ms. Saint Clair?_ " Snape thought

" _I thought we agreed that you would call me Ali_." She replied

A disturbing thought struck Snape at that moment.

" _Is there any way it can be overheard?_ " Snape thought back tensely, ignoring her comment.

" _Not on my end,_ " Ali thought, " _But a legilimens could hear it from your end if they were able to breach your mind._ "

The knowledge sent relief flooding through Snape's body. For once, he had a completely safe way to communicate. He was a master occlumens after all. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to break into his mind.

" _well, Ms. Saint Clair, it has been an ...interesting evening. I shall contact you when the need arises._ "

" _Thank you, Severus."_

Halloween night

Snape stalked the corridors towards dungeons where his private quarters were located. Tonight had been a disaster.

 _Although I should have predicted that Potter would somehow get tangled up in the tournament_ , he thought with scorn.

He continued walking down the hall, cloak billowing until finally reaching the door to his chamber. Opening it, he strode in. Frustrated he began unbuttoning his cloak before taking it off and flinging it the couch. He undid the cuffs of his dress shirt and rolled up the sleeves before walking to his sideboard. Opening it he pulled out a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey and pours a large glass for himself. Grabbing the glass and the bottle, he walks back to the fire and settles into the couch. He takes a long drink from the glass then sets it down with a sign.

 _It's always Potter. That boy is a mix of terrible luck, idiocy, and danger_. Snape thinks bitterly. He sighs again and rubs his palms on his thighs. His hand brushes a lump in his pocket and Snape jerks with a start. It was the rock Saint Clair had given him. Thinking that this might be a good time to contact her, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the stone.

" _Ms. Saint Clair?_ " Snape thought

A long moment of silence follows before he gets a response.

" _Severus!_ " she replies happily " _It's so lovely to hear from you. Is everything alright?_ "

" _Would I be contacting you if it was?"_ Snape thinks snappishly

" _Well, I would like to think that you would. I know I said to contact me if anything was amiss but I would also like for us to be friends."_

Snape rolls his eyes but doesn't respond.

" _Potter has managed to enter himself into the Triwizard Tournament, Ms. Saint Clair."_

Snape hears a sigh then, " _So it begins."_

" _You know this would happen."_ It was not a question.

" _Yes. This is one of the events I Saw. It is the beginning, Severus. Prepare yourself."_

" _Is there anything I should do?"_ He asked

" _Nothing right now. Just keep your eyes and ears open. I will be in touch again soon._ "

With that, the connection is broken and Snape puts down the stone. He picks up his drink and takes a sip, staring into the fire again. It was quite a long time before he moved again.

Christmas morning

Snape awoke Christmas morning later than he normally did. Light filtered in through the curtains of the magical window in his bedroom. Stretching, he looked around the room. Everything was as it was last night but for a small pile of gifts at the foot of his bed. With a sigh, Snape sat up and threw back the covers. Reaching down he pulled the boxes onto the bed for him to examine. One looked to be the traditional bottle of mead the Headmaster gave to staff each year. A neatly wrapped present was from Professor McGonagall. A few small boxes were from students from his house. The last and largest one he pulled to himself curiously. Looking at the card, he was surprised to read:

_Merry Christmas, Severus!_

_From Ali_

Astonished, he opened the box. He had not expected to receive anything from her and was intrigued. Inside were two gifts, a beautiful new pair of dragonhide potioneering gloves and a book titled Native Wizards of America and their development of Potions was astonished. Never had he received such a thoughtful gift. The gloves were exactly his size and perfect because his old pair was wearing thin. The book was also one he had read about in Potioneering Today. He had been planning on spending some of his Christmas bonus on buying it. Setting the box aside he looked out his window deep in thought. For a long moment, he just sat there. Then with a start, he reached for his bedside table where he placed the stone at night. Grabbing it, he thought, " _I didn't know you used your gifts for pedestrian things"_

He waited a moment then heard a woman's rich laughter fill his mind.

" _It does have its fun sides._ " she finally replied. Snape could hear the smile in her voice.

" _I hope you enjoy them. I read the book and Chancy makes some amazing points. I'd love to hear your thoughts after you finish._ "

At that, a faint smile crosses Snape's lips.

" _Anyway,"_ she continues " _I hope you have a lovely day, Severus. Merry Christmas."_

" _Merry Christmas to you as well ...Ali"_ He responded finally before putting the stone back on the table.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next couple of months passes somewhat uneventfully. The second task was completed and all the champions managed to survive. Snape and Ali spoke on and off during this time. Sometimes just to check-in, other times to have discussions about the books they had read or theories they were learning about. Slowly the pair's relationship grew into a friendship. A few nights a week saw the duo chatting late into the night. It had been many years since Snape had had a friend like Ali. Few people were bright enough to keep up with his mind and even fewer were willing to see past his prickly exterior to get to know him. He began to value the discussions he had with the young women. She kept him on his toes and even occasionally made him laugh. It was with some trepidation that he realized that the third task was drawing close. Sometime over the year, a sneaking suspicion had crept into his mind. Ever since Potter had been entered into the championship, he had begun to feel dread about the final task. He was aware that of what the maze would hold and his gut warned him that it would be a perfect place for something terrible to happen. Remembering the first conversation he had with Ali about the Dark Lord, he was convinced that the third task would somehow be connected to the rise of the Dark Lord. When he tried to bring this theory up to her, however, she refused to give him any information.

" _I'm sorry Severus but I can't tell you any more than I did at the end of the summer. Certain events are necessary and I can't rick you interfering, intentionally or unintentionally._ "

Frustrated but seeing that she would not be moved, Snape dropped it. However, he never let his suspicions go but rather allowed them to grow in the back of his brain. So, on the night of the last task, Snape took extra precautions walking the perimeter of the maze. He watched Mad-eye Moody carried the cup into the center of the maze with an unreadable expression on his face.

Finally, the event began and the champions entered the maze. Time passed as Snape continued his patrol. He saw red sparks at one point but was on a different side of the maze so let the other teachers respond. Moments later another beam of red sparks appeared in the sky near the first. _"Two champions down._ " He thought to himself. Silently, he hoped that one of the sets of sparks had been Potter. He knew though that the likelihood of that was slim. Hours passed as Snape continued patrolling. Close to finishing his 4th lap, Snape felt an unmistakable burning on his left forearm. Clutching it in pain, he was filled with dread. Only one thing could be the cause of that. Lord Voldemort had returned.

Rounding the final corner quickly, he came into view of the stands. As he moved closer, the unmistakable sound of a portkey could be heard. Confused, Snape hurried forward. There wasn't supposed to be any portkey's in this task. Murmuring started among the crowd until finally a shout could be heard.

**"Cedric Diggory! Dead" it screamed.**

At that Snape began pushing his way through the crowd towards the commotion. Finally reaching the center, he surveyed the scene. Cedric Diggory's unmistakably dead body was lying next to the overturned Triwizard cup. Dumbledore could be seen off to the side talking to the distraught Diggory's. Fudge was looking dazed and confused. Potter could be seen at a distance being helped by Mad-eye back towards the castle. Snape strode towards McGonagall who was trying to keep the students back from the scene.

"What happened" He demanded when he reached her.

"I don't know, Severus. One minute everything was fine, the next Potter appeared with the cup and the bo..body" she stammered. "Potter, he said that You-know-who is back."

At that Snape absently rubbed his arm. Fear began to overwhelm him. Numbly he reached into the pocket of his cloak to touch the stone.

" _He's back._ " was all he thought before withdrawing his hand from the pocket.

Dumbledore approached the pair.

"Where is Harry?" He demanded

"I saw Mad-eye escorting him back to the castle just a few minutes ago." Replied Snape.

Dumbledore's eyes widened at this and he quickly turned around and began striding back up to the castle. Shocked, Snape and McGonagall exchanged a confused look before the pair of them raced after him.

The trio marched into the castle, moving quickly towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts' classroom. As they reached the corridor, a loud deranged voice could be heard. Moving quickly towards the door, Dumbledore pulled out his wand and yelled " _Stupify!_ ". The spell hit the door with a bang as a blinding red light filled the hall. Snape was reminded chillingly of the headmaster's power as he surveyed the damage after the light cleared.

Through the splintered door an unconscious Moody could be seen crumpled on the floor. Potter was sitting in a chair across from the door looking horrified. Stunned silence filled the room before McGonagall moved towards Potter and tried to get him to the hospital wing. Dumbledore would not have it however and insisted that he stay so that he could understand what happened. Dumbledore moved over to the prone figure, picked up the hip flask and keys then sent McGonagall to fetch a large black dog and Snape for some veritasium. Quickly, Snape retrieved some from his office before returning to the headmaster. Stepping into the office, Snape was stunned to see Barty Crouch Jr unconscious on the floor exactly where Moody had been before. As he handed the potion over to Dumbledore, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Dumbledore interrogated Crouch for half an hour. In the distinctly monotone voice of someone under veritasium, Crouch explained the Dark Lord and his plan to kidnap Harry. The more he spoke the more mysteries surrounding this year began to clear. In the end, Snape was astonished by the plan that had been allowed to succeed. The Dark Lord had risen again.

After the interrogation was over, Dumbledore took Potter away with him to his office. He left McGonagall to guard Crouch. Next, he sent Snape to fetch Madam Pomfrey for the real Moody and then to inform Fudge of the events that had just transpired

Unfortunately, everything did not go as planned. As soon as the Minister was informed of Crouch, he summoned Dementors to escort him. Upon entering the room, the Dementors proceeded to kiss Crouch despite both McGonagall and Snape's disagreement. Ignoring them, Fudge stormed off towards the hospital wing in search of Dumbledore.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!"**

**"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?**

**Harry opened his eyes blearily. Someone had removed his glasses. He could see the fuzzy outlines of Mrs. Weasley and Bill close by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet.**

**"That's Fudge's voice," she whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"**

**Now Harry could hear them too: people shouting and running towards the hospital wing.**

**"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly**

**"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out —"**

**Harry heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around his bed, all of whom were staring at the door as Bill pulled back the screens, Harry sat up and put his glasses back on.**

**Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels.**

**"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.**

**"He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to —"**

**But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the Ward.**

**"What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking fromFudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you — I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch —"**

**"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"**

**Harry had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and her hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.**

**"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch —"**

**"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but —"**

**"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous —"**

**But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's. "The moment that — that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and — and —"**

**Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.**

**"By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"**

**"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."**

**"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You Know-Who's instructions!"**

**"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."**

**Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavyweight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.**

**"You-Know-Who . . . returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore . . ."**

**"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barry Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort — learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins — went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."**

**"See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, and Harry was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, "you — you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who — back? Come now, come now . . . certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders — but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore . .."**

**"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."**

**Dumbledore glanced around at Harry and saw that he was awake, but shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."**

**Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, "You are — er — prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"**

**There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.**

**"Certainly, I believe Harry," said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."**

**Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced at Harry before answering.**

**"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who . . . well . . ."**

**Fudge shot Harry another look, and Harry suddenly understood.**

**"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," he said quietly.**

**Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. None of them had realized that Harry was awake. Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.**

**"And if I have?" he said, looking at Dumbledore. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place —"**

**"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" said Dumbledore coolly.**

**"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" said Fudge quickly. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly — hallucinations?"**

**"Listen to me, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, and once again, he seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power that Harry had felt after Dumbledore had Stunned young Crouch. "Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."**

**Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn.**

**"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before. . . ."**

**"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy —"**

**Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge.**

**"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very old family — donations to excellent causes —"**

**"Macnair!" Harry continued.**

**"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"**

**"Avery — Nott — Crabbe — Goyle —"**

**"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily.**

**"You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore — the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too — his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them — the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"**

**"You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"**

**"I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"**

**Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always thought of Fudge as a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured. But now a short, angry wizard stood before him, refusing, point-blank, to accept the prospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world — to believe that Voldemort could have risen.**

**"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated. "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors —"**

**"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"**

**"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" said Dumbledore. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hardpressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"**

**Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.**

**"The second step you must take — and at once," Dumbledore pressed on, "is to send envoys to the giants."**

**"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. "What madness is this?"**

**"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," said Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"**

**"You — you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants — people hate them, Dumbledore — end of my career —"**

**"You are blinded," said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more, "by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any — and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now — take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act — and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"**

**"Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad . . ."**

**And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs. Weasley was still standing over Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, and Hermione were staring at Fudge.**

**"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I — I shall act as I see fit."**

**Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.**

**"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me —"**

**"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."**

**It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be . . ."**

**Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.**

**"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."**

**Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."**

**He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry's bed.**

**"Your winnings," he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry's bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances . . ."**

Fudge grimaced, jammed his hat on his head and started back towards the door. Before he reached it however, it banged open to reveal two people. Gasps fill the ward as the pair stepped into the light. The woman Snape recognized as Ali but it was the young man next to her that made his eyes go wide. Walking in calmly and very much alive was Cedric Diggery.

Unconcerned by the obviously shell-shocked room, Ali said to the room at large “Well, it seems that you started the party without me.”

At this, the room fell absolutely silent for a moment before it was filled with a cacophony of astonished exclamations and rapid-fire questions. Madam Pomphrey rushed over to Cedric’s side and began examining him before finally leading him to a bed. It took several minutes and Dumbledore raising his voice to yell “QUIET” for all the hubbub to subside. When at last the room had quieted down, Dumbledore stepped forward.

“I don’t believe I have had the opportunity to meet Ms. Would you be so kind as to explain who you are and how you came to be here?”

With a smile and a nod, Ali walked to a nearby chair and seated herself.

“To begin with Headmaster, my name is Alison Saint Clair. As you can guess from my accent, I’m an American. I’ve been living in Brittan for the past few months preparing for the war that is now upon us.”

Shocked looks were exchanged among the audience at this pronouncement.

Ali continued, “At the end of last summer, before I bought my home and began my research, I made the acquiesce of Severus Snape.”

At that, everyone turned to look at Snape. Grimly, he nodded in agreement.

“I needed to make contact with him specifically to ensure I was informed when Voldemort rose again. Severus and I have been in contact throughout the year and he has kept me abreast of the dangers surrounding the castle.”

This caused Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall to frown slightly at Snape. Snape remained impassive so Dumbledore turned back around and asked, “Why was it necessary for you to know what was happening in the castle?”

“Because,” She began with a deep breath but was interrupted by an irate Fudge.

“See here young lady, what is the meaning of this? How is Cedric still alive? I saw the body myself! How can this be?”

Before she could respond, she was interrupted again by Harry this time. His face was haunted and he hadn’t taken if eyes off of Cedric.

“I saw you die.” He whispered “In the graveyard, I saw you murdered. I heard the curse, saw you hit by the green light. You died. How? How?” but he couldn’t finish. Shuddering the reality of all that had occurred that night settled into him and he began to shake. Mrs. Weasley quickly stood up and hurried over to comfort him.

At Harry’s show of emotions, Fudge scoffed seeming to have gotten over his shock and remembered his earlier anger.

“Mad I tell you!” He said to himself. He turned back to Dumbledore, face red with rage again. “This is some sort of trick of yours isn’t it Dumbledore. Fake the death of a student then blame it all on You-know-who! That’s your plan, isn’t it! Use the chaos to destabilize me and the ministry!”

“Cornelius, really” Dumbledore responded “you are being illogical. I was just as shocked as you at Cedric’s appearance. That is why I was asking Ms. Saint Clair to explain the situation.” He turned back and looked at Ali expectantly. But the minster didn’t seem to have heard anything Dumbledore had said. In fact, he seemed beyond reason. Huffing again, he stormed towards the door.

“You won’t get away with this, Dumbledore. I won’t allow you to!”

“Minister wait!” Ali said suddenly, getting quickly to her feet. “I have something you need to see. Something you both need to see.” She said looking between Fudge and Dumbledore.

Reaching into her cloak pocket she pulled out two identical sheets of parchment. Handing them over to the pair, Ali returned to her seat.

Angrily, Fudge unrolled the parchment. He began to read but the farther he got the more shocked he became. By the time he was finished, his mouth was hanging open. Dumbledore too looked shocked at what he had read.

“Godmother?” the Minister said faintly.

“I, Lily Evens Potter, name Alison Saint Clair the legal guardian and Godmother of my son, Harry James Potter.” Dumbledore read aloud looking at Ali in shock. “It’s dated 8 months before Halloween of 1981.”

Gasps fill the room again and the large black dog at the foot of Harry’s bed began to bark loudly. McGonagall looked stunned. Mrs. Weasley was asking question after and question. Snape stared silently at Ali, eyes full of confusion and a hint of anger. Dumbledore again had to say quiet for the room to fall silent again.

Before any of the adults could speak however, Harry’s stunned voice asked “You know my mother?”

Ali looked at him sadly, “Yes I did Harry, I met her briefly before she and James went into hiding. We became friends. Because of certain facts, I will share with you later, your mother secretly your Godmother.”

“Then why didn’t you come for me when they died?” He demanded

“Because they died when I was barely 13. I couldn’t adopt you because I was still a child at the time. Sirius was supposed to take care of you if I wasn’t able to but” she glanced briefly at the large dog, “as you know that couldn’t happen. I’m so sorry, Harry. I wish I could have done more. You should never have been brought up by your Aunt and Uncle.”

While this exchange had been going on, Fudge had been reading and rereading the document. Interrupting again he said angrily. “I don’t believe it. The ministry would have known if Harry Potter had any other next of kin. This is another one of your tricks, isn’t it Dumbledore!” and before anyone could say anything, he crumpled up the parchment, threw it angrily on the floor and stormed out.

Silence filled the room again at the minister’s exit.

“Predictably stubborn and nearsighted as I feared.” Ali murmured.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. “Well, Ms. Saint Clair, unlike the minister, I believe this to be an accurate document.”

Ali smiled at that “I’m glad you see that Headmaster. It will make this next part so much easier.” Turning to Harry, Ali asked “As you know, a Godparent’s job is to fill in as guardian if a child’s parents are unable to do so. That makes you my Godson.”

Harry’s eyes widened with that pronouncement and a small smile crept onto his face.

“Yes, I remember, Sirius explained it to me last year.” He said with a brief glance at the black dog.

“Wonderful! In that case, you won’t be surprised when I ask you to come live with me over the summer?”

Harry was beaming now. “Yes!” he almost yelled, “Of course I want to come live with you! Anything is better than the Dursely’s. When can I move in! Where do you live?” He began asking rapidly.

Ali laughed and began to answer but was interrupted by Dumbledore.

“As touching a scene as this is, I’m afraid I cannot allow Harry to live with you over the summer, Ms. Saint Clair. While his aunt and uncle might not be ideal, the protection enchantments I place on him are too important not to renew. Harry will be spending his summer at the Dursley’s like usual.” Dumbledore said with finality.

“I think not Dumbledore,” Ali said with much more coolness then before. “I will not allow my godson to be placed back into a house where he is known to be abused. I don’t care what sort of protection charms you placed on him. Nothing makes the treatment he receives acceptable or something that he should have to continue to endure. He will be plenty safe at my house. I have spent the better part of the last year securing it with every known protection spell. On top of that, anyone who tries to hurt him will have to get through me first.” She finished a glint of fire in her eyes.

“Admirable as your preparations and dedication to Harry are, I still cannot allow it,” Dumbledore said. The rest of the people in the room had been keeping quiet throughout the exchange, heads flicking back and forth as though they were watching a sporting match.

Standing, Ali lifted her chin in defiance. “What you can or cannot allow is not relevant in this conversation. I am Harry’s Godmother. He is under my care. If I say he is going to live with me over then summer then that is what he shall do.”

“The protection spell…” Dumbledore began

“Fuck the protection spell” Ali spat angrily “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Are you really willing to endanger a child by sending him back to an abusive home because of some protection spell when another much safer option is available! What kind of educator are you?!” She demanded.

Professor McGonagall gasped while Mrs. Weasley stared wide-eyed at the pair. At Ali’s adamant defense of Harry, she nodded her head seemingly unconsciously. Something in the young women’s declaration seemed to have hit a chord with the mother of 7. The large black dog seemed to have been equally as effected and stood up to approach Ali. Breaking away from glaring at the Headmaster, Ali smiled at the dog.

“Hello, Sirius.” She said calmly. “Not that I don’t love your furry look, but I wouldn’t be opposed to your support right now.”

The silence in the room was defining. The large dog crocked its head before morphing into a frowning Sirius Black.

McGonagall gasped and pulled out her wand. Snape sucked in a breath through his teeth, eyes flaming with hatred as he too drew his wand.

Mrs. Weasley screamed. “Black! It’s Sirius Black.”

“Calm down, Mum,” Ron said “He’s not going to hurt anyone. He’s on our side.”

Sirius flashed him a smile before turning his eyes back to Ali.

“How did you know who I was?” Sirius asked in a rough voice.

“I would quite like to know that myself.” Commented Dumbledore. “And please, Minerva, Severus, put away your wands. Mr. Weasley is quite right in his assessment of Mr. Black’s intentions.”

The two professors looked at Dumbledore then each other before putting their wands away although Snape did so with much more obvious reluctance. 

With a sigh, Ali rubbed her face with her hands. It was obvious to everyone that the night had been stressful for her.

Finally, she looked up at the group. “What I am about to tell you is a secret that must be kept. It is of the utmost importance and also affects my safety. To address your earlier questions, Headmaster, I needed to contact Severus because of the information I have access to. This information is also how I was aware that Sirius is an animagus. The truth is that I am a…”

SLAM! A loud noise came from near the window. Hermione was standing near clutching something in her hands. Blushing at the attention she said, “So sorry, ignore me. Please, Ms. Saint Clair, continue.”

Ali looked at Hermione shrewdly then something seemed to click for her. She smiled and gave her a wink. “I would recommend a jar for that bug you caught there.” She said with a mysterious smile.

Eyes wide, Hermione pulled out her wand and conjured a glass jar which she proceeded to shove the beetle into. She then walked back to her seat and place the jar on the ground.

“Well now that that’s handled,” Ali said, continuing to smile, “Where was I?” She thought for a second.

“You were about to tell everyone how you came to know everything that you do, Ms. Saint Clair.” Snape replied silkily eyes still flaming with anger.

Ali looked at him with a hint of sadness before turning back to the group. “Yes, thank you, Severus. As I was saying, the reason I know what I do is because I am an Elemental with a spirit gift of foresight.”

The room was silent again before Harry blurted out, “You’re a what?”

“Oh, honestly Harry,” Hermione said exasperatedly while continuing to look at Ali with awe. “An Elemental is one of the rarest forms of magic-user. There have only been 18 documented cases in the last 1000 years.”

“But what does that mean?” Harry repeated, still confused.

“It means, Potter,” Snape said snidely “that your Godmother is one of the most powerful witches in the world. She is able to control all 5 of the elements at a mastery level and in ways the rest of us can’t even imagine.”

Dumbledore was surprisingly quiet after the revelation. Ali quickly looked at him and caught what she thought was a calculating look on his face. The next second it was gone, however, replaced by his normal kind twinkle.

“Well, Ms. Saint Clair, that explains how you knew about Sirius but it doesn’t explain why you needed to contact Severus and how you came to accompany Mr. Diggery.”

“If I’m going to give all of the details, Headmaster, everyone might want to take a seat.”

The group decided to heed her advice and all found chairs.

“It all began last May when I woke up from the most intense vision I have ever had. In it, I saw a young boy in a graveyard surrounded by hooded figures. A tall impossibly pale man stood in front of him. The pair seemed to be talking. Then the boy was given his wand back and the pair began to duel. The two spells collided in the middle causing Priori incantatem. The wands linked and gold beams illuminated the graveyard allowing me to identify the individuals. It was Harry and a newly raised Voldemort.” At the name, many of the people listening flinched. “I saw Harry escape with a glowing cup and what looked like a dead body. It was so confusing to witness. Usually, my foresight is clearer. But I knew that I was being called to come to Britain, that my Godson needed me. And so, I came. Over the summer I had many more visions, some that have already come to pass and some that are to come. Such terrible things. I knew I had to do everything in my power to change the outcome. That’s how I learned about Severus. I knew what his destiny could be but also realized the key role he could play in my plan to change the future I saw. So, I contacted him, told him who I was and asked him to keep me updated on anything that was happening at the school. My visions never give me the entire picture but I knew that something terrible would happen at the end of the term and that it would lead to the rise of Voldemort.” Again, the listeners shuddered. “After connecting with Severus, I went about working to fulfill my role as Godmother. I bought a house and poured every ouch of magic I possess into the protection of it. I also spent time training. War is coming and I knew I needed to prepare. And that’s how I spent the last few months of my time. Prepping the house and training for war. That all changed two weeks ago when I had another vision of the night in the graveyard. This time the scene was different. I was there. Unseen by everyone, I watched from a distance ensuring that my Godson could be rescued if needed. I also realized then that it was possible for me to save the person whose body I had seen. And so tonight, following my vision, I was able to find the graveyard. I was able to misdirect the killing curse meant for Cedric. I port keyed him to safety, leaving a fake body behind. It was imperative that no one know I was there. I waited until I was sure Harry was safely back at Hogwarts before I went to gather Cedric. After that, we came back to the school and I brought him to the here to be checked over.”

Everyone looked over at Cedric. While the conversations had been happening, he had been checked out and cleared by Madam Pomfrey. He had changed into a set of pajamas and fallen asleep in the bed.

“Please don’t wake him,” Ali asked. “He’s had a rough day. He needs rest. In fact,” She says as she looks over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione “All the children need rest. We can finish this discussion in the morning Headmaster if you have any other questions.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded at this pronouncement and began to move Hermione, Ron, and Bill towards the door.

“One moment please, Molly” Professor Dumbledore said. Mrs. Weasley turned back to face him. “Am I right in assuming that you and Arthur are not going to be as narrow-minded as the minister.” 

“Absolutely” She replied “Arthur might work for the ministry but neither of us has ever trusted Fudge. And with good reason after what we witnessed tonight.” She finished with a hump.

“Excellent, then I shall be in touch with sometime tomorrow,” Dumbledore said with a dismissive nod.

Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione left after that. When the door closed, Dumbledore turned back to face Severus.

“You know what I must ask you to do, Severus.” He said gravely.

“Yes, Headmaster.” He replied curtly

“Then go now,” Dumbledore commanded.

Without another word, Snape swept from the room.

Dumbledore turned around again but this time faced McGonagall.

“Minerva, would you go fetch the Diggory’s for me. I believe they are currently in Professor Sprout's office. They deserve to know the truth before Cornelius breaks the news.”

McGonagall nodded curtly and walked briskly out the door. This left just Sirius, Ali and Harry. Dumbledore looked at the trio. The adults were looking at him with a guarded expression while Harry was flicking his eyes between the three.

“Ms. Saint Clair, I would like to ask you if you would be interested in joining a group of mine. It is a small bunch of witches and wizards working together to fight for the side of the Light. It is called the Order of the Phoenix.” 


	4. A Godmother?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new relationship is revealed and Harry gets a tour of his new home.

Morning sunlight filtered into the hospital wing through the tall glass windows. The two occupants of the ward were fast asleep. After asking Ali to join the Order, Dumbledore had asked Sirius to get in contact with Remus. The plan was for him to lay low for a few days while more permanent housing was being arranged.

“Why don’t you come to stay with me?” Ali had offered, “Then you can be close to Harry and safe from the ministry. I know you don’t really know me but I have plenty of space at my house.”

“Thank Merlin!” Sirius had muttered, “That sounds brilliant. I was worried that I might have to stay at some creepy, dark old safe house or something.”

“Well,” Ali had said with a smile, “My house is rather old but I promise it's neither dark or creepy.” Turning to Harry, she continued, “I was able to finish the renovations about 5 months ago. You and Sirius can have rooms close to me if you like. The decorations are pretty basic but you can decorate it however you want. Actually, if you want, you can ask your friends, Ron and Hermione to stay with us as well.” Ali looked down slightly embarrassed, “I always wanted a big family. It was just me and my dad growing up. It might be nice to have a full house.”

Harry had returned her tentative smile. “I can ask Ron and Hermione later today. I think Mrs. Weasley liked you so I bet if you ask as well and owl the Grangers, they’d be allowed to stay for a few weeks. We might even be able to convince the whole family to come!”

“That sounds great, Harry,” Ali said, smiling back at him.

“Yeah,” Sirius had chimed in, “it does! Having a busy house sounds perfect. We might even get enough people over to play a round of Quidditch or two. You have to see this kid play, Ali.” Sirius said, giving Harry a fond grin. “He’s a natural! Just like his father, he is. Youngest Hogwarts seeker in a century!”

“That’s amazing,” Ali exclaimed, “I never really got into Quidditch because I went to no-mag school but…”

Dumbledore had interrupted her then to remind the group that Harry was still not allowed to spend the summer with his Godmother. The following argument had been long and very heated. Both Ali and Sirius ended up shouting at the Headmaster at different points, but it wasn’t until Ali threatened to take him in front of the Wizengamot, did he finally acquis.

“Very well,” Dumbledore had said with a great sigh, “If that is how you feel, Ms. Saint Clair, then that is what will be done.”

“Good.” She had replied curtly, anger still blazing in her eyes. “You know damn well how powerful Elementals are. Harry will be perfectly safe at the manor. I’ve even got a Fidalius charm on the property.” she had finished smugly.

Dumbledore had sighed again before turning to Sirius. “Sirius, I must ask that you go to Remus’s. If the Order is to be reformed, it is best we do so immediately. Say there for a few days and work with him to contact all the old members. Also, please think about any of the younger people who might be persuaded to join. We need as many people as possible to know and believe the events of this night. You can join Harry at Ms. Saint Clair’s home in a few days when the term is over. Now, I bid you all a good night.”

With that, Dumbledore left the hospital wing. The adults both breathed a deep sigh after his departure. Sirius then turned, patted Harry on the shoulder, nodded at Ali and left for Remus’s. This left Ali and Harry alone for the first time.

“So, I have a Godmother now along with a Godfather,” Harry said with a smile. “Did I hear you right that you met my mum when you were 13? How did that happen?”

Ali laughed, “That’s a long and crazy story, Harry and it’s incredibly late. You should try and get some sleep.” She had begun to gather her things.

Harry nodded but looked like he wanted to ask something. Finally, he said, “Would you stay with me?”

Smiling softly, Ali nodded, “Of course I will.” She put her cloak back down and had settled back into her chair next to his bed. “Get some sleep, sweetheart.” She had said before tentatively leaning over to kiss his forehead. She had handed him the rest of the sleeping potion on his bedside and Harry had slowly drifted off to sleep.

Now, in the early morning light, the pair was fast asleep. Harry was curled up in bed while Ali sat in her chair with her arms crossed and head back at an awkward angle. As the sun began to rise, Ali began to stir. Finally, she sat up, stretched and rubbed her eyes. Glancing around, she returned her eyes to Harry’s sleep figure and smiled faintly. With his eyes closed, she thought, he looked so much like his father. She got up to move a little around, working the kinks out of her neck. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was about half-past 9. Just as she sat back down, Madam Pomfrey came bustling in from her office. 

“Good morning,” Ali said brightly.

“Good morning, Ms. Saint Clair.” The matron replied. 

At the noise, Harry began to wake. The pair watched as he stretched then fumbled around his bedside table for his glasses. 

“Here,” Ali said, handing him them to him.

Madam Pomphry preceded to examine Harry’s injured ankle. When she was satisfied that everything was mended, she released him with a warning to be safe. Ali moved from behind the curtain to allow Harry to change then the pair left the hospital wing heading to the great hall. 

Breakfast was rather sparsely attended but the moment the pair entered, everyone fell silent. All eyes followed them as they crossed the hall to sit at the Gryffindor table. 

“Well, that’s not creepy at all” Ali whispered 

Harry snorted and began piling his plate with eggs and sausage. “Yeah, I hear you get used to staring eventually but it still is a bit odd.”

At that, Ali frowned, “Don’t the professors try and do anything about it.”

Harry shrugged, “Not really. Not much they can do is there. Especially with my name in the paper all the time.”

Ali scowled, “That’s absurd. I can’t believe that ministry allows the papers to print anything about minors without parental consent. MACUSA has laws specifically addressing that!”

Harry shrugged again. Ali pursed her lips but dropped the subject for now. The pair ate in silence as students slowly trickled in. Hermione and the Weasleys trooped in at ten to 9. Harry and Ron sat on either side of Harry. Ginny sat on the other side of Hermione while the twins sat next to Ali. 

Ali smiled at the group, “I don’t think I officially introduced myself last night.” She said to Hermione and Ron. “My name is Alison Saint Clair, Harry’s Godmother, but you can call me Ali. ”

Hermione reached across the table to shake hands, “Hermione Granger.”

Ron copied her movement a bit awkwardly, “Ron Weasley.” Pointing at Ginny then the twins he continued, “That’s Ginny, Fred, and George.” Ginny waved and the twins nodded into between bites. 

“So, I was talking to Harry last night and since he is going to be staying with me over the summer, I thought it might be fun if he invited his friends to come to stay as well. The Manor is a bit big for just Sirius, Harry and I. What do you think?”

“I’ll have to owl mum and dad,” Hermione replied, “I think they were planning on traveling to a dental conference over the holiday so I would be able to come for some!”

“Sounds great!” Ali said with a smile. “Tell them if they want to call me, I managed to rig up a home phone.” Hermione smiled and quickly finished her breakfast before getting up to go to the owlery to mail the letter to her parents.”

“How about you, Ron?” Ali asked. 

“Um, I’ll ask mum and dad.” 

“Tell them that the whole family is invited. I have plenty of room.” A mischievous smile crossed her face, “Would it sweeten the deal if I told you that I have quidditch pitch?”

All the Weasley’s mouths fell open and Harry smiled big. 

“Yeah,” He added, “She told me about that last night.”

With that information, the Weasley’s seemed determined to spend the summer at Ali’s. The group chatted for a few more minutes before Ali remembered something she had been meaning to ask. She turned to the twins. 

“So, I’ve heard some interesting things about you two.” She said, the mischievous smile back on her face.

“And what is it..” Fred began 

“...you’ve heard?” George finished cautiously. 

“Nothing bad,” She replied with a smile. The twins relaxed a bit. “I’ve heard you two might be pranksters.”

“Ah! Our reputations precede us!” Fred said with a cheeky smile and a wink. 

“Your information might have a grain of truth.” George continued. 

“I also hear you might have some longer-term plans involving that.”

At that, both boy’s eyes widened significantly. Ron and Ginny were looking on confusedly. 

“We can neither confirm nor deny anything at this time.” The twins said 

Ali smiled wider, “Well boys, when you ARE able to confirm or deny anything, let me know. I have a proposition for you.” winking, she turned back to her finishing her breakfast. 

“What ‘future plans?’” Ron asked through a mouth full of food.

“Ask us no questions….” George said.

“And we’ll tell you no lies.” Fred finished. 

“But what…” Ron continued but was interrupted by Ali. 

“It was lovely meeting y’all. Make sure to check with your parents about this summer. And tell them I’ll be sending an owl as well.” 

The Weasleys and Harry nodded and waved as Ali stood up. She walked around to the other side to give Harry a quick hug before beginning to walk towards the entrance hall. Looking up at the staff table, she noticed that Dumbledore’s chair was empty. Snape was seated towards one end. She tried to catch his eye but he seemed to be focusing intently on the paper in front of him. She sighed deeply. _Perfect_. She thought sarcastically to herself. Reaching into an inner pocket of her cloak, she touched her purple stone. 

“ _I know you’re mad at me, Severus but I told you this summer that I needed to keep certain information secret. I’m going to have to do that at times. I don’t want to be dishonest but you of all people should understand the necessity of keeping secrets for a bigger mission. And my mission is to keep as many people alive and safe as I can. Please, don’t be mad. I didn’t lie about anything else. You’re my friend, a really good friend. I don’t want to lose you.” She thought then looked up at the top table again. Snape was scowling at his paper now_. 

“ _Please Severus_. ” She sent again. 

At that, he briefly looked up at her. Anger was visible in his eyes but she knew it was masking hurt. Finally, she could see a shift in his robes as he reached his pocket into the stone. The scowl slowly left his face as he listened. In the end, he looked back at her and nodded. Smiling tentatively, she nodded back and left the hall. Walking briskly, she crossed the entrance hall, towards the main doors. She continued outside and down the grounds towards the gates. Once outside the grounds, Ali pulled a necklace out from under her shirt. I was very simple, just a raw cut diamond on a silver chain. Holding the gem in her hand, she closed her eyes and with a pop, disappeared back home. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The final days of the term past in a blur. The truth about Cedric being alive spread like wildfire although the details were unclear. Not until the leaving did the students get some answers. Against the ministry, Dumbledore announced the rise of Lord Voldemort. Gasps had filled the hall at the shocking news. Most students seemed to be generally confused by the information but little was able to be settled because summer began the next day.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent the train ride in a compartment towards the end of the train trying to avoid the questioning stares. Harry was able to have a short conversation with Cedric. It eased Harry’s mind tremendously to hear the Cedric was indeed still ok and that he supported Harry’s accounting of events in the graveyard. Cedric also revealed to Harry that Ali had spoken to him before they arrived at the hospital wing and explained to him the importance of keeping Ali’s involvement a secret.

“What do you plan to do now?” Harry asked.

Cedric grimaced, “Your godmother explained the danger my living has put me in. I managed to talk my parents into going on an extended vacation.”

“Good.” Harry had said with a nod. He had had his own concerns about Cedric and knowing that he was going into hiding alleviated those worries. Cedric left the compartment shortly after that leaving the trio to discuss the past few day’s events.

“Everything is going to change now, isn’t it?” Hermione asked sadly.

“Yeah,” Harry said sighing.

“Hey, at least you don’t have to go back to the Dursely’s.” Ron reminded

Harry smiled “Yeah… it hasn’t really suck in yet. It was amazing finding out about Sirius but you know, he couldn’t do much while he’s on the run. But Ali,” Harry paused and looked out the window for a moment. Looking back, he smiled and continued, “I think I might have a real chance at normal.”

Both teens smiled at that.

“If anyone deserves it, mate, it’s you.” Ron finally said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Companionable silence filled the compartment for a moment before the door slide open. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle stood in the door frame.

“What do you want, Malfoy?” Harry spat angrily.

“Temper, Temper, Potter. I just came by to marvel at the spectacle.” Malfoy said with a sneer.

“What are you on about, Malfoy?” Ron demanded.

“Well, Weasley, it’s not every day that you see a dead man walking.”

“Shut up, Malfoy,” Hermione said angrily.

Laughing cruelly, he ignored her continuing, “Your days are numbered, Potter. Now that the Dark Lord is back, it’s a matter of days.”

At that Ron lunged forward to attack Malfoy. Harry and Hermione only just grabbed him in time to stop the fight.

“Although I have to say, that Godmother of you is rather nice to look at. I might have to ask the Dark Lord to spare her. She’d make a great wh…”

Spells came from everywhere. By the time the light cleared, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were barely recognizable. They looked more like giant slugs jammed in Hogwarts’s uniforms.

Fred and George poked their heads in over their bodies.

“We saw those three pass our compartment and figured we should investigate. Which of you used the Furnunculus curse?” George asked.

“Me.” Said Harry.

“Odd,” said George lightly. “I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn’t be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let’s not leave them here, they don’t add much to the decor.”

The boys proceeded to kick and shove the unconscious trio out into the hall until they were able to close the compartment door.

“Exploding snap, anyone?” Fred asked.

Time passed as they played round after round. When they were almost home, the twins finally explained the situation with Ludo Bagmen. Incensed at the injustice, an idea began to form in the back of Harry’s mind. When the train finally came to a stop, he held the twins back and gave them his half of the Triwizard winnings. Overwhelmed, the twins finally accepted but only after Harry threatened to hex them if they didn’t accept it.

Leaving the train, Harry looked around the platform. Ali had said she would meet him to take him to her home. Sure enough, he saw Ali approaching with the Weasley’s.

“Harry!” Ali said with a smile. The pair exchanged a hug before she continued. “I’ve been talking with the Weasley’s and they have agreed to spend most of the summer with us. I was also able to contact the Granger’s and they are planning to allow Hermione to join us in a week or two.”

At that, Harry smiled widely. This summer was shaping up to be the best of his life. Saying goodbye to the Weasley’s and Hermione, Harry grabbed Hedwig’s cage while Ali began to pull his trunk.

Walking closely together, Ali explained, “I don’t know how much you know about my type of magic, but it’s a bit different than yours.” Walking through the barrier, Ali continued, “I’ve figured out a way to move that is similar to a Portkey. I’ll explain more when we get out of the station.”

The pair began to walk briskly through the station, both keeping a wary eye out, just in case there was trouble. But nothing happened, and Ali and Harry were able to safely make it to a deserted alley behind the station. Turning towards him, Ali pulled out small gray stone from her cloak pocket. Holding it up for Harry to see, she continued her explanation.

“This is part of a much larger stone that’s on my land. I figured out a couple of years ago that rocks tend not to like to be broken apart. Long story short, this piece wants to get back to the main one and with my magic, I’m able to direct it to carry anyone touching it back to the main piece. Nifty, right?” She said with a smile.

Harry nodded then tentatively reached out to hold the stone with Ali.

Ali winked, “I promise, it’s not quite as jarring as a portkey.” With that, Ali closed her eyes and a moment later, the pair vanished with a pop. 

A few hundred miles away, the pair appeared again. Harry had to agree with his godmother, traveling her way was way better than a portkey. Looking around, he realized that they seemed to have landed in a small forest clearing. Looking at his feet, he noticed that he was standing on a much larger version of the small stone Ali had now tucking back into her cloak.

“Come on,” Ali said, “The manor is just a little way that way.” She pointed. Harry looked and saw a small path leading away into the forest. The pair began the walk, Ali explaining a bit about the area.

“So, this house actually used to belong to an aristocratic no-mag family a while ago but it had been abandoned so I was able to get it for a deal. The entire estate is a couple of hundred acres, mostly forest. There is a really beautiful pond about a half-mile from the house.” Smiling at Harry, she continued. “I totally plan on spending half the summer there. It gets hot here!”

Harry laughed at that but fell silent as the house came into view. Calling it a house seemed a bit wrong, he thought, It’s a bloody mansion!

“Welcome to Wildwood Manor, Harry,” Ali said, smiling wider at his obvious shock. The pair began the walk up the drive. Wildwood was indeed huge. A two-story, sandstone building, Harry began to understand why his godmother and insisted that they could host so many people. In front of the house was a beautiful marble fountain. The house itself was H shaped with a tower on one end and what looked like a large addition on the other. The front doors were a set of beautiful dark oak carved doors. Large windows were everywhere on the house, ensuring that the inside was bathed in light.

“It took some time to get the house back up to modern standards. I ended up having to bring a friend of mine in from the states to help with some of the magic to make sure it was done in time.” She walked up the stairs to the door. Pushing them open she gestured for Harry to walk in first. Entering, Harry’s mouth fell open. In front of him was a set of beautiful curved stairs to the second floor. The entrance hall had a marble floor. The walls were a soft brown wallpaper. Looking up, He spotted a large chandelier. Massive in size, it glittered with hundreds of little crystals. To his right, he saw a set of open doors that looked to lead to a huge library. On his left, was another set of doors that lead to a formal sitting room.

Ali set Harry’s trunk by one of the flights of stairs and turned to him.

“Let me give you a tour.” She said.

Harry nodded, still in shock.

Ali pointed to the left. “That’s the formal sitting room. I don’t use it a bunch but I figured it would be nice to have if I ever host some of the older school witches.” Gesturing for Harry to follow, she walked into the library.

Again, Harry marveled at the size of the room. It turned out that it was a two-story library, with a large balcony circling the outside of the room. Unlike the entrance hall, the library floor was a dark hardwood. Large oriental rugs dotted the floor at different spots. The walls looked to be a forest green but were covered entirely by shelves upon shelves of books. Sofas and armchairs were clustered in different strategic areas. Two large tables were located towards the back of the room and a few desks were recessed in different nooks. Walking towards the center, Harry did a slow turn as Ali talked.

“This is one of my favorite rooms. I will admit that I’m a bit of a bibliophile so having my own library for the first time has been truly amazing.” Gesturing towards the back of the room she continued, “Over there are all the basic magic books I have.” Continuing to turn clockwise, Ali said, “Next is all my no-mag non-fiction books.” Turning towards the front of the room, Harry saw that the wall was taken up by a large fireplace. “By the fireplace, are all my fiction and fantasy books. Upstairs, I have all my more complex and dark magic books. You can take anything you want, just be a bit careful about the ones upstairs. I made sure they don’t have anything nasty in them but some of them are a bit grumpy.”

Harry nodded again, “I’ll keep that in mind.” Thinking about Hermione, Harry grinned. “You’re going to have to drag Hermione out of here. This is probably what her heaven looks like.”

At that, Ali laughed and the pair began to walk towards the second set of doors at the back of the room. Walking into the hall, Ali pointed out the bathroom on the far right of the hall. Across from the library was another set of doors, these closed this time.

“That,” Ali explained, “is my workshop. With my earth magic, I do a lot of metallurgy. Let me know before you do in there, there is some dangerous equipment in there.

Harry nodded and the pair turned left and began to walk down the hall. They passed another set of couches in the hall. As they walked into the back half of the entrance hall, Ali showed him the large glass doors to a patio outside. Further down there was a glassed-in conservatory. Opposite the formal sitting room was the formal dining room. The pair walked in. The floor was dark wood again, covered by a large beige rug. The table was a huge old oak table. It could easily fit over 20 people. Pictures, both magical and non-magical, dotted two walls. To the right was a set of glass doors that opened to the conservatory. To the left were two hutches that held all the formal plates and silverware. A small door on the far corner lead to the kitchen.

“I don’t have too many meals in here,” Ali explained as they walked to the kitchen. “Mostly I think we can use it for holiday and special events.” Entering the kitchen, Harry looked around. The room was incredibly modern for a wizard’s home. It had light brown cabinets with marble countertops. A double set of fridges was to the left and a large professional looking stove was at the back. It did have a fire like most wizard homes but it was smaller and off to the side. An island took up the center of the room with room enough for 6 people to sit. There was also a large kitchen table almost as big as the dining room table. To the right, were another set of doors to the conservatory.

“Most of the time, I eat in here. I’m a decent enough cook but I can’t do anything super fancy.”

Harry smiled and reassured her that that was fine.

Ali smiled back and asked, “Want to see your room?”

Harry nodded excitedly and the pair returned to the main hallway. Continuing down it, they entered the new addition. As the main part of the house, the addition was two stories. It was in the shape of a rectangle with a small garden in the center.

“Down to the left are a bunch of guest rooms. There are 4 on this floor and four on the second. That’s where I was thinking the Weasley’s and Hermione can stay.” Walking to the right, Ali continued, “This part has suites rather than rooms. They are bigger than the guest rooms and have their own bathrooms in them. They also have access to the back yard.” Turning down the hall to the left, the pair passed the first suite. “I’m thinking of putting Sirius in there,” Ali explained. “I know he and Severus don’t get along so I figured I’d keep him away from the suite Severus uses when he is here.” Continuing down the hall, the pair reached the second suite. Stepping back, Ali indicated for Harry to open the door. When he did, his mouth fell open again. The room was beautiful.

“I know it’s a bit clique but I know you’re a Gryffindor so I figured painting it red would be a safe option. Let me know if you don’t like it though and we can change it to any other color you want.” Ali explained, sounding a bit nervous.

Harry was too stunned to respond. Walking to the center of his new room he looked around. The room was indeed a deep red with soft light brown carpet. To his right was a small personal fireplace with a loveseat and two armchairs set in front of it. To the left was the biggest bed, Harry had ever seen. Easily a king, the bed frame was dark oak with a red and gold embroidered comforter on it. Large glass doors spanned the back wall, giving him access to the back patio. A beautiful wooden owl stand sat in the corner. Spinning some more, Harry saw the door to his bathroom. Peeking in, he saw the room was huge. Marble like that in the entrance hall was on the floor. A large counter with a sink was to the right while in the center was a claw-footed bath. To the right were a shower and the door to his walk-in closet. Turning back to Ali, he noticed finally that she seemed anxiously waiting for his response. Without a word, Harry walked over to her and gave her a big up.

“It’s amazing, Ali. Thank you.” He said hoarsely.

Overcome, Ali sniffed slightly, squeezing him tightly. After a moment, the pair broke apart.

“I’m glad you like it, Harry. I want so much for this to feel like home for you.” Ali said as she wiped her eyes.

Harry nodded and smiled, then walked over to the owl stand to let Hedwig out. With a hoot, she flew out and perched on the stand.

“I think I left some owl treats in your bedside cabinets. Feel free to leave the window open for her.”

They left Harry’s room after that. Pointing down the hall, Ali explained that the last suite on this floor was hers. Walking back down the hall, the came to the stairs in the corner. Climbing upstairs, Ali continued the tour. The suite at the far end of the hall was Severus’. The middle one wasn’t assigned and the one above Sirius’ was meant for Remus.

“I know, Dumbledore, mentioned Sirius going to Remus’ house for a few days but I told him to invite Remus to come stay with us as well. I hope that’s ok. I know he was an old teacher of yours but I thought it would be good for Sirius to have a few adults around to keep him from going stir crazy.”

“No, that’s great. Remus is great. I know Sirius will love having him here. You know, he and Remus were best friends at Hogwarts.”

“Oh, I’m very aware of their exploits at Hogwarts. I was good friends with your mother, remember.” She said with a laugh. “The number of letters I got from her, complaining about something or another your father or Sirius had done. Remind me to show them to you, she really had a flair for description.”

At that, Harry smiled wide. Ali continued, “I was thinking that I’d offer the guest rooms up here for any order members that need a safe place to stay.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, “I’ve been meaning to ask. What is the Order anyway? Dumbledore didn’t give much information about it when he asked you to join.”

“Oh, right! The Order or Order of the Phoenix is the group Dumbledore created during the last war to fight Voldemort. Your mom and dad were members, along with Sirius and Remus. I actually should check how much I’m supposed to tell you. Dumbledore is big on secrecy.” She said with an eye roll.

Harry nodded but looked to have a question.

“What’s up?” Ali said when she noticed.

“I was just wondering, well most witches and wizards don’t you Voldemort’s name. I mean Dumbledore does but, why do you?”

“You forget, Harry, that I was in that graveyard as well. I’ve seen what he looks like. He might be the darkest wizard of the last 100 years but I’m not allowing that nose-less dickhead to scare me so much that I will call him ‘You-know-who’.”

Harry burst out laughing at her description of him. Ali gave him a mischievous smile and winked. After that, they continued the tour. Ali showed him the family room and gym then walked him over to the other side of the manor to show him the ballroom.

Standing in the doorway, Ali turned to Harry with a thoughtful look. “Actually, this reminds me, I was thinking about us hosting a party this summer. I think it might be fun to invite some of your year over and maybe some of the Order for a big summer party. Thoughts?”

“That could be fun. It would be cool to see people over the summer.”

“Great! I’ll look into it.” Ali said smiling then looked at her watch. “Oh jeez, it’s almost 4. I’m supposed to go get the boys at 4. Do you mind if I leave you for a bit while I run and go bring them over?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’m a bit tired from the train so I might go back to my room and rest for a bit.”

“Perfect. You go rest, I’ll get the boys and then I’ll cook us some dinner.”

Harry nodded and pair separated.

Ali walked back down the main stairs and out the front door.


	5. Wildwood Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirus and Remus join Harry and Ali at the Manor.

Ali walked out of Wildwood and began the 5-minute walk to her apparition point. Early on, she had struggled a bit with how to use her magic to move to places she hadn’t been. The easiest way ended up being similar to the one she had used earlier with Harry. Giving the person one part of paired stones to place in their house, Ali was able to teleport there easily.

Pulling out the twin to the stone she had given Sirius before he had left for Remus’, She closed her eyes and with a pop, disappeared.

Opening her eyes, she looked around her at where she had landed. Sirius had left the stone on what she assumed to be Remus’ front walkway. Ahead of her, she could make out a small, well-kept cottage surrounded by woods. Straightening her cloak, she began to walk up to the front door. Knocking, she waiting for someone to answer.

Footsteps could be heard before the gruff voice of Sirius could be heard asking, “Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Sirius. I’m here to pick up you and Remus up to come stay at my home.”

“Password?”

Ali rolled her eyes, “Open the door, you giant furball. It’s really me, not a Death Eater or Auror. It’s physically impossible to use polyjuice to become me because of my being an elemental and not a witch!”

The door swung open to show a sheepish looking Sirius.

“Sorry, love. Dumbledore suggested we start using higher security measures now.” He said as he gestured her to come inside.

Ali rolled her eyes again but had to agree that Dumbledore was wise to suggest using stronger security checks again. She followed Sirius into the cottage and looked around. It was a charming place, old but obviously well kept. The area she was standing in was a large room with the living room, kitchen, and dining room all combined. She could see three doors off the main room, to bedrooms and a bathroom, she assumed.

“Let me go grab my stuff. Remus will be out in a minute. Take a seat anywhere.” Sirius said then walked into one of the bedrooms.

Ali settled herself at the kitchen table but it was barely a moment before the other bedroom door opened to reveal who she assumed to be Remus. Thinking back to Lily’s letters, was grateful for the detail in describing all her friends. A tall, lightly muscled man, Remus was dressed with a pair of worn dress pants and a button-up with a knit sweater over it. Sandy-haired that was liberally streaked with gray, He looked older than the early 30s he was. His face was heavily lined and scared from his condition. Ali’s heart broke a bit at the obvious damage the disease had taken on him. Hiding this though, she stood back up, extended her and smiled.

“You must be Remus,” Ali said when the man noticed her. He smiled back and shook her hand. “Lily told me so much about you, I feel like I’m already friends with you.”

At this, Remus laughed, “Well, that makes one of us. I can’t believe Lily kept you hidden for all those years!” The pair settled back into chairs around the kitchen table. “Would you like some tea? Sirius might be a few minutes, he always leaves pack until the last minute.”

“Yes, please,” Ali said politely. Remus pulled out his wand and flicked it at the kettle. It began to boil immediately. With another flick, the kettle poured the water into a teapot which came to rest on the table in front of the pair. A final flick brought over two cups along with a bowl of sugar and milk. Remus poured the tea by hand, first Ali’s cup than his own.

“Cream or sugar?” Remus asked.

“Two sugars, please,” Ali replied.

Remus stirred two into Ali’s cup while adding 4 to his own. He passed the cup to her then and the pair took each took a sip. Silence filled the room as they enjoyed the tea.

“I wanted to thank you for the invitation to stay with you this summer but I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline,” Remus said after putting his cup back down.

“Let me guess,” Ali said with pursed lips, “You would love to but you have a monthly commitment that won’t allow you to stay.”

Remus’ mouth fell open at that.

“How… who… you know?” Remus finally managed to get out.

Ali nodded, taking another sip. “I thought Sirius was going to fill you in on everything that happened at the end of the year.”

“He did” Remus responded, still confused “but what does that have to do with….” He trailed off then. “Oh! Of course, your 5th element is foresight.”

“Yup, right in one. And before you ask, no I don’t care that you are a werewolf, you goober. I’ve known you were one for many years now. I put specific modifications on the grounds of the manor specifically with it in mind. Not only do I have a supply of Wolfsbane but I have layers of wards both around the house and the grounds that will ensure you don’t get into the manor when you are furry but will also be safe to run around in the forest all you want. I heard all about your exploits during your Marauders’ time at Hogwarts. I promise I’ve thought of everything so don’t even try to argue.” Ali finished with a self-satisfied smirk.

Overwhelmed, Remus could only nod. Silence fell again between the pair, Ali sipping her tea contentedly while Remus frowned, deep in thought.

After a while, Remus broke the silence, “I still can’t quite believe that you are an elemental. I’ve read a fair bit about them but I can’t believe one is sitting in my kitchen.”

“Trust me, Remus.” Ali replied, “there are days I still can’t believe it.” Ali’s brows scrunched in thought. “Would it help if I showed you a little demonstration?”

“That would be amazing!” Remus replied, animatedly.

Ali set her cup down and then turned her eyes towards the kettle. Water began floating out of the spout towards her. When it reached her left hand, it formed a softball-sized ball. With a flick of her wrist, the water began to spin, turning from a ball into a ring of spinning water. As the water continued to spin, Ali turned her attention to the fire. Similar to the water, a small line of fire floated from it towards Ali. Reaching her, it formed a ring and began to spin opposite the water. The two elements continued their spinning, creating an X with their rings. Next, Ali reached into her pocket and pulled out a large stone. Holding it in her right palm, the stone began to rise into the air and stretch as though it were made of clay. With a gentle toss, Ali moved the spinning stone ring to join the other two rings. Finally, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. The air in the room began to move, causing the dishes to rattle. Ali’s hair was fluttering in the wind she had created. Opening her eyes again, the wind was pulled in tight and joined the three other rings. Remus’ mouth had dropped open at the demonstration. This petite young woman sitting in front of him had managed to harness all the elements in under a minute. It was an unbelievable show of control and power.

“Bloody hell!” Came a shout from the bedroom. Sirius had come out and was staring mesmerized at the spinning elements in Ali’s hand. Startled both Remus and Ali jumped. Losing control, the wind stopped, the fire went out, the stone fell to the ground and the water splashed down all over Ali’s lap. Silence filled the room, Remus and Sirius glancing at each other, concerned how Ali would react. But they needn’t have worried because a moment later, Ali began to laugh. The boy’s laughed as well.

“Thanks for that, Sirius. I was really hoping to have half of a shower.” Ali said, still giggling.

Sirius barked with laughter at that while Remus pulled out his wand.

“Here let me.” He said, indicating for Ali to stand so he could dry her.

“Oh no, I got it.” She said with a wink. Looking down at her drenched lap, she squinted her eyes in concentration. The water in her clothing became to float again, forming a ball until she was completely dry. The boys were silence again, watching in amazement as the Ali directed the ball of water to the sink and allowed it to drop in.

Brushing her hands down her now dry jeans, Ali smiled. “Well, now that I’m again, y’all wanna get on the road?”

Nodding, the two men stood and went to gather their trunks. Moments later, they both dragged them into the main room from their bedrooms.  
Ali stood and walked towards them, digging into another pocket of her clock. Pulling from it the same gray stone she had used with Harry earlier, she held it out in her open palm. Sirius and Remus each reached out a finger and placed it on the rock. Looking at the fire, Ali quickly put it out then returned her gaze to the stone. A second later, the trio vanished from the room.

Landing easily back at the apparition point, Ali tucked the stone back into her clock and led the two towards Wildwood. Remus and Sirius were both similarly astonished by the manor as Harry was. Walking around the fountain, she showed the men inside.

“Welcome to Wildwood Manor,” Ali said with a smile when they were in the entrance hall. Harry’s trunk had been moved since she had left to pick up the boys. Gesturing for them to follow, Ali gave them a brief tour as she walked them towards their rooms. Remus looked interested at the mention of the library which Ali promised to show him after dinner. Walking to Sirius’ room first, she told the pair that where her and Harry’s suites were. Sirius pulled his trunk into his room while Ali used her air magic to float Remus’ up to his suite.

“If you want to get settled in, I’m going to cook some dinner. It should be ready in about 45 minutes. Do y’all have any allergies I should know about?”

Shaking their heads at the question, the trio split up, Sirius and Remus to unpack and Ali to the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, Ali contemplated what she wanted to make for dinner. She decided to go simple and began to pull out meat, pasta, cheese and green beans. She planned to make steak, mac-and-cheese and cooked beans for dinner. Humming to herself she began to prep the food. She used her water magic to clean everything and her air magic to have a knife chop the beans. Heating the water to a boil with her fire, she set the pasta to cook and pulled out a pan to sear the steaks. Time passed as she prepared dinner and about 30 minutes later the room was filled with incredible smells. Possibly drawn by them, Sirius, Remus, and Harry appeared early.

“Would y’all set the table, please? Dinner will be ready in a few.” Ali asked, not turning her attention from the stove. The boys rummaged around in the cabinets for a while before finding the plates and flatware. Ali began to pull the steaks off the heat to rest while using her air magic to stir the mac and cheese. Once everything was finished, the food floated to the table and settle in the center. Ali gestured with her right hand at a pantry door and a bottle of red wine flew out. Catching it in the air, Ali grabbed the bottle opener from a drawer and settled in her chair. Remus sat down next to her while Sirius and Harry sat across from her. Each began serving themselves while Ali opened the wine, pouring it for the adults.

“Now, I know that the wizarding world doesn’t really have religion the way the no-mag world does but my dad and I had a tradition before dinner of saying something we were grateful,” Ali said, looking around the table. “I can start, I’m grateful to be surrounded by family and friends. I’m grateful that I finally get to be in Harry’s life and I’m grateful for the safety we have.”

Harry smiled at the mention of family along with Sirius and Remus. Harry volunteered to go next, “I’m grateful for my godparents, for not being at the Dursely’s and for the summer of fun I think we will have.”

Ali beamed then looked at Sirius to speak.

“I’m grateful for Harry, for a safe house and for a warm meal.”

Again, Ali smiled and then the table turned to look at Remus.

“I am grateful for a safe place to stay, for new friends and old,” Remus nodded at Ali then Sirius. “and for the peace we currently have.”

Everyone smiled and nodded at that then began to dig in. It was excellent and the boys were sure to compliment the cook. The meal passed quickly, Sirius regaling everyone with funny stories from the Marauders’ exploits. After everyone had eaten all they could, Remus offered to clean up. Thanking him, Ali nodded then migrated with Sirius and Harry outside to the back patio. Settling in loungers, Ali spent a few moments pointing in the direction of different things on the estate.

“Over there,” she said, pointing off to the Northeast, “is where the quidditch pitch is. It’s about a half-mile walk. Next to it is my practice arena. I tend to spend a few hours there in the morning. Off that way,” she waved her hand northwest, “is the pond. Again, about a half-mile walk.” Remus joined them at that moment. Ali continued “The forest has a lot of trails if you are interested in hiking or running. Not that it's likely but if you manage to get to the edge of my property, it's marked by a large chair metal fence.”

Remus had settled into a lounger like the other three and turned at the mention of the fence to ask, “How have you managed to secure everything?”

“Weirdly enough, that was actually pretty easy,” Ali explained. “I had a friend of mine from the states come over to help with some of the renovations. She put up every protection charm we could think of. For my part, it’s actually pretty straightforward. With my earth magic, I can feel everything and everyone that is currently on my land. I’ve poured my magic into the fence as well. It’s metal, which is a type of earth, so my magic works on it. Basically, if anyone comes within 50 feet of it, I’ll be alerted. If they attempt to either break the fence or get over it, the fence will stop them. Very long story short, I realized if I put some of my blood on it, it becomes somewhat sentient as well as picking up basic rules for the type of person that is allowed to cross the threshold. I have a similar ward on the manor itself. Anyone with bad intentions will be unable to enter the house.”

“That’s brilliant!” Remus said fascinated, while Sirius and Harry nodded in agreement. “I’d love to learn more about your powers if you are will. There isn’t much literature out there about what exactly Elementals are capable.”

“Sure, Remus! I’ve been keeping journals for a few years now about the progress of my magic. They are in the library if you’re curious. You can also come down to any of my training sessions to see some of the bigger stuff I can do.” Ali said with a smile. “Actually, that reminds me,” She sat up and turned more towards the boys. “I gave Harry a full tour of the main house but I might have left out a bit of it. The house also has a basement that has quite a bit in it.” Standing now she indicated for them the follow her. Sirius, Remus, and Harry followed her curiously as she led them back through the manor to the addition. Walking to the suite portion of the addition, Ali stopped to the right of Sirius’ suite’s door in front of a large magical painting of a witch arranging a vase of flowers. Turning to the 4, the portrait asked, “Password?”

“Haven” Ali replied and the portrait swung open to reveal a spiral staircase leading to the basement. Descending the stairs, Ali explained, “Each of the rooms and suites has a set of stairs that lead downstairs to the bunker. The password, Haven, is the same for all of them. If someone manages to get onto the grounds, I’ve built an alarm to go off as a warning.” Stepping off the stairs into a long, narrow room with two other spiral staircases evenly spaced out, Ali began to dig into one of her pockets. Pulling out a piece of paper and pen, she scribbled something on it. Passing it to the three men, she explained, “The bunker is under fidelius charm, I’m the secret keeper.”

Passing the parchment round, each read and memorized the following sentence, “Wildwood Manor’s bunker is located behind the metal door in the antechamber.”

Looking up, the men immediately noticed the appearance of a metal door. Taking the piece of paper back, Ali burned it up before opening the metal bunker and letting the boys enter. The difference between the bunker and the rest of the house was immediately noticeable. The floor was a dark gray while the walls were a light gray metal with symbols carved in it.

“My friend and I did a bunch of research on protection charms and basically carved everyone that we could find in the walls. The layers of charms and spells on this place are a bit insane. I have spent months pouring my magic into the ground and metal. This is probably the safest place in the country, if not the whole region.” Ali explained a bit sheepishly.

Harry walked to the center of the space to look around, Remus went to the walls to inspect the different symbols while Sirius stayed at Ali’s side.

“This is impressive, love. But why go to such lengths.” He asked

“Harry.” She replied simply and the pair looked at the teen. Looking back at her, Sirius’ eyes held a new level of respect. He was a person who had great respect for a person’s loyalty. This was proof to him that Ali would do anything to protect his best friend’s son.

Ali moved forward and showed the three around. The main room of the bunker was mostly designed as a large seating room. A small kitchenette was located on the far wall. To the right was a bathroom, a door marked as Female dorms, a smaller storage room, and an infirmary. Again, the trio was blown away with Ali's preparation. The infirmary was stocked with every possible health potion along with an extensive supply of no-mag first aid. Its back wall was also lined with shelves containing both magic and non-magical medical textbooks.

“I figured it didn’t hurt to have,” she explained about the first aid. “I mean you can’t have too many bandages.”

Exiting the room, they turned left this time passing another room marked Male Dorms. Next, they passed a room marked weapons storage.

“I’m gonna have to ask y’all to not go in that room without me or unless it’s an emergency. It’s stocked with a large quantity of no-mag weapons. I also have a bunch of extra wands, just in case.”

Both Harry and Sirius seemed interested in the no-mag weapons and Ali offered to teach them some of the basics. Across from the weapon's room was a large practice room. One part was set up as a shooting range while the other part was a dueling court. Next door, Ali showed the trio her potions lab.

“Feel free to use this if you are interested in making anything. Although I should have most things in either storage or the infirmary.” Ali said with a smile.

Across from the potion’s lab was another large storage room. Further along, was another set of bathrooms. Next to the lab was Ali’s office which she didn’t show them the inside of. Finally, at the end of the hallway was a room labeled Archives. Opening the door, the boys were surprised to find what seemed to be another smaller library.

“This is where I keep records of basically everything. I’ve got everything I’ve ever read or learned about past Elementals. My original journals are down here. I also have all the incredibly dangerous, dark magic books located here.”

At Sirius and Remus’ suspicious looks, Ali explained further.

“I know that sounds super fishy but I promise it’s not.” Ali sighed “I wish you could meet my dad. A lot of this would make more sense if you did. After my mom died and my elemental powers began to show themselves, my dad got a little intense. His entire life began about protecting me and helping me master my powers. From a young age, he drilled the need to be prepared and to know your enemy into my head. That’s what I’m doing here.” Ali explained, then lead the boys down one of the closer shelves. Here there appeared to be a few hundred files.

“When I agreed to be Harry’s godmother, I had a vision about his future. Nothing super specific but enough to know that he had the potential to be a key figure in the fight between the light and dark. Knowing that, I knew it was important to have general information on all the possible players. I have a file on every confirmed and possible Death eater, every person who finically supported them as well as all the key players on the side of the light.”

Harry looked shocked, while both Remus and Sirius exchanged impressed looks.  
“Dumbledore will love all the information you’ve gathered for the Order,” Remus said finally.

Ali was silent for a moment after that, just staring at the shelves. Finally, she replied quietly. “I didn’t do it for him. It’s to protect the people I love.” Turning to face the boys, her face was more serious than they had ever seen, “And to be honest, I don’t know if I trust him with it. Not after the fight he put up about Harry living here.”

It was Remus’ turn to be shocked while Harry and Sirius exchanged a look. Shaking her head as though to clear out the darkness that had filtered in, Ali led them back out of the archives and back to the main room.

“Sirius and Remus, you can use the archives anytime you want. Harry, normally I’m all for learning but there’s nothing in that room I want you to have to worry about.”

Harry looked up and opened his mouth to protest.

“No, Harry, you are 15. You have already seen too much. Your job is not to be a soldier but to be a kid.”

“But Voldemort…” Harry began.

“Is the adults concern.” She said, interrupting him. “I know a fair amount of your history, between my research and the visions I’ve had.” Ali pulled him to a couch and sat down with him. “I know you’ve faced Voldemort more times than most adults, certainly more times than I have, but that doesn’t justify you being dragged into the coming conflict. You deserve a childhood. And I plan on doing everything in my power to ensure that happens.”

“But I still want to help. And it’s not like Voldemort is going to stop targeting me just cause you’re here now.” Harry said, making a valid point.

Ali sighed deeply and looked at the other two adults in the room.

“Your Godmother is right,” Sirius said at last, “I know you want to do something but you can’t. You’re safe from Voldemort here so don’t worry. At least for the summer.”

Remus nodded along with what Sirius was saying. Ali gave him a small smile for his support. Looking back at Harry, she sighed again.

“You’re so much like your mom.” She said to herself. Frowning, she stared off into space for a moment, thinking. Turning back to Harry, she said, “How about this, you take tonight and think about what you want to do. Your Godfather and I will talk about it as well then tomorrow we can come back together and discuss this more.” Looking at Sirius, she said to him “He’s right, Voldemort isn’t going to stop.” Pursing her lips, she sighed once more then ran her hands over her face.

Remus stepped forward, “That seems reasonable, don’t you think?” He asked Harry. “And anyway, it’s getting late. It’s been a long day for everyone. We should try and get some rest.”

At Remus’ suggestion, Ali smiled and stood up. Harry still looked frustrated by the conversation but agreed to table it for the night. Together the four left the bunker and climbed the spiral stairs back up to the main level. Coming out into the hallway, the 4 said goodnight than separated. Harry and Sirius to their suites, Remus to the library to grab something to read and Ali towards the back door and outside. She needed a walk to clear her head.

Walking briskly, she made her way towards the woods and a trail she regularly walked. Flicking her wrist as she passed a torch, a small bit of fire separated and floated in front of her to light her path.

Sighing again, she thought over the conversation she had just had with Harry. There didn’t seem to be an easy solution. Harry was right Voldemort. He wasn’t going to stop trying to murder her godson now that she was in the picture.

_But I can’t conscience the idea of him being turned into a solider. He’s barely a teen. I can’t…I just can’t be ok with him fighting._

_But he will end up fighting again whether or not you allow it_. Another part of her thought. _He can’t spend the rest of his life hiding in Wildwood, no matter how much I wish he could._

“Fuck.” She said frustrated, rubbing her face.

She continued to walk the trail and think for a long while. Night had fully fallen and she was clod by the time she came back to the manor. It hadn’t been a productive walk though. She was still as conflicted as she had been when she left.

Entering the kitchen, she flicked her wrist so her guide light joined the fireplace. Turning to leave, she was startled to see Sirius sitting at the table. He seemed to have been waiting up for her. Before him sat a bottle of Firewhiskey and a half-full tumbler.

“How was the walk?” Sirius asked, fiddling with the glass.

“Unhelpful.” She replied, sitting next to him at the table. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting.”

“’sok.” Sirius mumbled, “ever since Azkaban, sleep’s been a bit of a…challenge.”

Ali hummed in sympathy but didn’t know how to respond.

“Want a glass?” Sirius asked, moving his hand to the Firewhiskey bottle.

“Not that, thanks. I’ve spent too long in the no-mag world, I never developed a taste for Firewhiskey. I’m more of a bourbon girl.” With that explanation, she flicked her wrist towards the cupboard. A bottle of bourbon and a second tumble flew out. She reached out and grabbed both, undid the top and poured herself a large glass.

“Cheers,” She said, clinking glasses with Sirius. The pair took a drink then sat in silence for a moment.

“I don’t know what to do,” Ali said finally. “I made a promise to Lily to protect him but I don’t know what that realistically means.”

Sirius sighed deeply, “Me too. He’s so much like James sometimes. The stories I’ve heard about him. Did you know, he took on a mountain troll in his first year? That’s how those three became friends.”

“Of course, he did,” Ali said sarcastically. “He’s got the loyalty of his father combined with the fire of his mother. It’s the perfect combination for the safe and quiet life I promised his mom.”

Sirius let out a bark of laughter at that. “Yeah, safe and quiet don’t seem to be in the cards for the boy.”

“Which is such bullshit!” Ali exploded, standing suddenly and beginning to pace, “He’s fucking 14 years old and already he’s fought Voldemort, what, 3 times?!? I don’t care that he’s the fucking ‘boy-who-lives’, he’s a child!”

Sirius nodded gravely in agreement watching the young women fume.

“What’s worse is that because neither of us has been available to be his advocate and protector, Dumbledore has been making all the fucking decisions! How that man thought it was acceptable to send Harry back REPEATEDLY to a KNOWN abusive house, I will never understand.

As Ali’s rage had begun to build, the flames in the fire had started to dance and grow. Now, as her temper was being unleased, the flamed were roaring.

“Um… Ali?” Sirius said, his eyes on the dangerously big fire.

“What!” Ali snapped, turning back to Sirius. Sirius raised his eyebrows at her and indicated the fire.

Ali looked at the dangerously uncontrolled fire and swore.

“Shit.” She muttered and stopped her pacing. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths. As she calmed down, the fire decreased in size.

“Sorry about that.” She said with an apologetic smile. “My emotions are tired to my magic so my mood can sometimes make them go a bit haywire.

Sirius nodded his understanding but looked at Ali with new eyes. He had seen her control that afternoon but it was startling to learn just how much she could unconsciously effect. He made an unconscious promise to himself not to piss her off unnecessarily.

Calm again, Ali returned to her seat and took a sip from her glass. Sirius waited for her to swallow before speaking.

“You’re one of the few people I’ve ever heard who doesn’t seem to blindly follow Dumbledore,” Sirius said eyeing her critically. “I’ve always been pissed about the Dursley’s thing but there wasn’t anything I could do.”

Ali nodded, pursing her lips. “Well, it’s good to know I’m not the only one. By the way, you’re on my list of things-to-do.”

Sirius raised his eyes at that, holding in the joke at the unintended innuendo. Ali saw the laughter in his eyes though and said, “Oh shut up, you know what I mean.” Sirius laughed and Ali’s cheeks turned a bit pink. “What I was trying to say, is that the charges against you are one of the things I want to set right. Your imprisonment is a huge injustice. It’s utter bullshit that no one has tried to overturn it in all these years.”

“I know, love, trust me, I know,” Sirius said in a placating voice, glancing at the fire briefly.

Ali sighed deeply and slumped back into her chair.

“It’s kind of you to be concerned but I think our main focus should be Harry. I’m safe enough here so we don’t need to worry about me just now.”

Ali nodded, still frustrated at the problem but agreeing with him. Harry was the priority.

“I don’t have any more answers than I did when we talked to him though. I don’t want him to become a soldier, that’s not what his parents wanted. What any parent wants, really. But I also fully understand that he is always going to have a target on his back, especially now with Lord Dickless back.” Ali said

At the nickname, Sirius laughed, and Ali gave him a brief cheeky smile.

“You’re right, love. He should be allowed to be a kid. If I could, I’d make sure that all he did this summer was play quidditch and hang out with his friends. But he also has the right to know the reality of the situation. We can’t shelter him. He needs to be prepared. Moldyshorts is going to be coming after him no matter what we do.”

“Ooo, I like that one,” Ali said with a laugh over the nickname. Becoming serious again, she continued, “So what are you saying? We should train him?

“I think we have to. Not intensely, but he should be more prepared then he is.”

“You realize that if we train Harry, all the other kids are going to want to be trained with him, right?”

“Fuck, you’re right. Molly is gonna have our hides.” Sirius said with a shudder.

“Leave Mrs. Weasley to me. I think I can talk her into it. Especially if we frame it as self-defense rather than training to fight in the war.”

Sirius nodded, adding “I’d be up for teaching them dueling skills, and I bet Remus would be willing as well. He was the DADA teacher after all.”

“Good idea.” She said as she flicked her wrist at a drawer. A pad of paper and a pen flew towards her. She began to write everything down.

“Dueling, Advance DADA, Charms, and Transfiguration.” She listed off, “I want to also teach them how to fight without a wand the no-mag way. It’s smart for them to be able to throw a punch if all else fails.”

Sirius raised his eyebrow at that, “You know how to fight the muggle way?”

Ali looked up, the mischievous gleam back in her eyes. “Mhm, my daddy was big on the importance of a woman to know how to defend herself. Magic or No-magic.”

 _Yup_ , Sirius thought, _never piss this woman off_.

“This looked good,” Ali said, looking over her list. “I think we should start with Harry tomorrow. You boys can text his dueling skills and I’ll start with him on no-mag defense. I’ll also owl Mrs. Weasley about the other kids.” She folded the paper and tucked it into her cloak pocket.”

“You definitely would have been a Ravenclaw, if you’d have gone to Hogwarts,” Sirius commented.

Ali laughed, “Not the first time I’ve heard that.” Finishing her drink, she moved to stand up. “I have to admit, I’ve always been curious which house I would have been sorted into, both at Hogwarts and Illvermorny.”

Sirius finished his drink and stood as well. Suddenly the pair was standing almost chest to chest. Silence descended in the kitchen as they looked into each other’s eyes. Ali’s pupils dilated and her cheeks flushed. Sirius swallowed and moved to step closer. Startled by the movement, the spell broke and Ali blurted out, “I should be getting to bed.”

A knowing smile crossed Sirius’ face and he nodded, stepping back. “Yeah, we should get to bed. Big day tomorrow and all.” He paused for a moment before reaching his hand up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Ali’s ear. “Good night,” He said quietly then turned and left the kitchen.

Ali was frozen for a few moments after he left than her breath exploded from her.

 _That man is dangerous_. She thought to herself as she sent the glasses to the sink. Banking the fire, she left the kitchen and made her way slowly to her suite. Reaching her door, she pushed it open and enter. Her suite was larger than the guest ones. Directly across from the entrance was the door to her bathroom. On the right wall was a large fireplace with a plush navy-blue couch and two leather armchairs in front of it. The floor dark wood with large soft rugs covering most of it. The walls were a soft cream color. On the far-left side was a wall of glass. French doors lead to a private patio. On the same wall as the door to the hall was the bed. A king-sized four-poster bed, the comforter a soft white.

Sighing, Ali unbuttoned and removed her blue cloak and flung it over the back of her couch. Pulling off her boots next, she walked in stocking feet through the bathroom to her closet. Dropping the shoes on her shoe rack she pulled out a long sleeve shirt and sleep shorts from a drawer. Removing her jeans and shirt, she changed into her pajamas. Throwing the dirty clothing into her hamper, she returned to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once done, she walked to her bed, pulled back the covers and climbed in. Pulling the covers up to her chin, she curled up on her right side facing the dancing flames in her fireplace.

 _What in the world was that?_ She thought to herself. _I can’t be attracted to Sirius. I mean, sure he’s stupidly handsome but he’s Harry’s godfather. I can’t do that. And anyway, I remember Lily saying that he was a huge player during school. I’m sure it was nothing._

Putting any thoughts of Sirius out of her mind, Ali tried to get to sleep. Unfortunately, thoughts of him kept popping into her head, and it was a long while before she eventually drifted off to sleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


	6. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali and the boys begin to train Harry.

Ali’s alarm woke her up at 8:30 the next morning. Grumbling, she rolled out of bed, shoved her feet in slippers and stumbled towards the kitchen. She was not a morning person and didn’t become a functioning person until she had a few cups of coffee. Walking blearily into the kitchen, Ali saw that Remus was already dressed and up. He had mercifully made a pot of coffee and was currently sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup while reading a book Ali recognized from her library. It was one of the few histories of Elementals she had. Smiling slightly at that, she walked over to the counter, pulled out a large mug and poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Good morning,” Remus said cheerfully.

“Morning,” Ali mumbled in reply.

Remus looked up and laughed.

“Not a morning person, I take it.” He asked.

“I don’t become human until my second cup of coffee.” Was her reply.

The pair sat in companionable silence, Ali drinking her coffee while Remus continued reading. Once she was finished with her first cup, she poured another and then began pulling food out of the fridge for breakfast.

“Eggs and bacon, ok?” Ali asked Remus.

He nodded, not looking up from his book. Ali began cracking eggs into a bowl to make scrambled eggs while she threw strips of bacon in a frying pan. With a flick of her wrist, a loaf of bread flew towards her and began to slice itself. The kitchen was soon filled with the delicious smell of bacon and not long after, Harry and Sirius stumbled in. Both poured themselves cups of coffee, then sat with Remus waiting for breakfast. Ali finished scrambling the eggs, put the bacon on a plate and finished toasting the bread. As each dish finished, it floated over to the table. Politely, the boys decided to wait until Ali was finished before they began to wolf down the meal.

Everyone at in companionable silence before, Ali broke it to speak with Harry.

“So, Sirus and I talked about it last night and came to a decision. As much as neither of us wants to, it seems like the most practical move to give you a bit of training for what is to come.” Harry looked surprised at this. He had been expecting to have to push hard to get his Godparents to agree to teach him. “There are going to be rules,” Ali continued “We aren’t going to be training you intensely, your main priority this summer is to just relax and have fun. But we were thinking maybe an hour or 2 of practice every day just to work on your skills.” Harry nodded enthusiastically.

Sirius chimed in then, directing the next question at Remus, “We were wondering if you would be willing to help. You were always better at DADA then James and I were.”

“Of course, I’d be willing to help,” Remus said with a smile.

“Brilliant,” Sirus said then turned back to Harry, “So the plan is that Remus helps you with some of the theory and spell work while I work with you on your dueling. Your godmother wants you to also learn some muggle fighting skills. Apparently, she’s secretly a badass.” Sirius said with a wink at her.

Ali blushed but ignored the comment. “How does that sound, Harry?”

“It sounds great! Although I know Ron and Hermione are going to want to learn as well when they visit.”

“Yeah, we figured that.” Ali responded “I was planning of owling Mrs. Weasley about it today. I figure if I spin it as self-defense rather than war preparation, she might be more willing to allow it.”

“You can use Hedwig if you want.” Harry offered.

“That would be great, thanks!” Ali said.

With that, Ali finished her breakfast quickly and stood up to write the letter.

“Would y’all mind cleaning up for me?” she asked before leaving.

Sirus and Harry offered to clean up which Ali thanked them for then left the kitchen. Returning to her room, Ali jumped into the shower then got dressed in workout shorts and a tank top. She planned to practice her magic after she wrote Mrs. Weasley. 

Across from her bed was located a beautiful old desk. Carved thin curved legs in a light wood made the desk distinctly feminine. Little flowers and leaves were inlaid around the edge. Pulling out her chair, she opened the drawer and pulled out a piece of parchment to write with. She had a habit of flipping between the wizard parchment and quill and the no-mag paper and pen, depending on what she was doing. Since she was writing a witch, she decided to go with parchment rather than paper. Gathering her thoughts for a moment, Ali sat there with her quill poised above the paper. When she knew what she wanted to say, she began to write. While she had told the boys, she would just write and explain what their plan was, Ali understood that Mrs. Weasley would be much more likely to agree if the conversation was face to face. Asking Mrs. Weasley if she was available that afternoon to meet, Ali finished the letter quickly. Allowing it a moment to dry, she walked over to her bedside table and pulled open the drawer. Inside were about 15 small gray teleportation pebbles. Grabbing one she turned around to walk back to her desk. Opening the drawer again, she placed the pebble and the letter in, then sealed it. Leaving her room, she walked next door to Harry’s to grab Hedwig. Entering she walked over to the peach where Hedwig was standing. The beautiful snowy hooted a greeting.

“Hello, Hedwig.” Ali said in reply “Harry said it was ok if I could use you to deliver a letter to Mrs. Weasley. Do you think you could do that for me?”

Hedwig hooted again and held out her leg. Ali smiled than proceeded to tie the envelope to her leg. When it was attached, Ali gave her head a quick scratch before opening the window to allow her to fly off.

That done, Ali walked back through the house and out into the garden. Walking through the garden quickly she started towards her practice area near the quidditch field. It was a lovely walk, summer had truly begun. The morning sun was making it pleasantly warm while a breeze was blowing ensuring that it wasn’t too hot. Approaching the practice area, she noticed that the boys were standing near it, chatting. Walking over to join them, she asked, “Whatcha y’all up to?”

The three turned at the question. Remus was the first to answer, “Well after you left, Harry was super enthusiastic to begin practice so we decided to walk down here and have a look at your practice space. I hope that’s alright.”

“Of course, it is! Y’all are allowed to use anything you want while you are here.” The boys smiled at Ali at that. She continued, “Actually, you know what, Harry, I was planning on doing my normal morning practice but why don’t we mix the two.” Looking the three up and down, Ali frowned. “Are you sure that’s what you want to practice in?” Each was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Sirius was wearing his dragon hide boots, Harry his tennis shoes and Remus a pair of loafers.

“Aurors always were taught to practice in their regular clothing because it wasn’t like you were going to have time to change when you get into a duel,” Sirius replied a bit smugly.

Ali shrugged, “Makes sense. I just know that it would drive me bananas not having a bunch of flexibility.”

Subject dropped, Ali gestured for the boys to follow her into the practice arena. A small fence encircled the entire area. Passing through it, the boys felt the shiver of wards.

“I have it warded so that no stray spells or elements end up flying out of the area,” Ali explained as she continued to walk.

The area itself didn’t look like much. There was about 10 feet of space between the fence and a large white rectangle marking the training area. The rectangle was about the size of an American football field. The ground was loosely packed dirt with no grass growing on it. In the far-left corner near the fence, a few barrels could be seen. Ali explained that they held water. In the closer left corner, was the remains of a fire. A stack of wood was sat neatly nearby. To the right of the fence gate was a large trunk labeled ‘First Aid’. The rest of the area was empty. Ali walked over the fire pit and put some logs on. Remus followed her pulling out his wand and light the fire when the logs were placed. Thanking him, the pair joined Sirius and Harry in the center.

Turning to Remus, Ali asked “Would you mind going first. I was thinking Harry could watch, you and I dual, then Sirius and I then you and Sirius. Then we can break to discuss what he saw. After, we can do a practice dual with Harry.”

“Sounds great,” Remus said with a grin. “I’m excited to see how fighting is different for you.”

Ali laughed at that. “I’ll do my best. I haven’t dueled very many people before because of the whole secrecy thing. Mostly just my dad growing up. I think the last time I sparred was when Georgiana was in town.” At the confused looks, Ali explained. “Georgiana is the friend I mentioned who helped me with the house. She’s great, you’d like her. Amazing dualist, top in her class at Illvermorny.” Ali looked thoughtful for a moment, “Actually, I was thinking of inviting her for Christmas.” She smirked at the boys, “I would invite her for the fourth of July but I don’t know how you Brits would feel celebrating a Yankee holiday.”

At that, the boys laughed. The group separated, Ali to the side with the water and fire, Remus to the other side and Harry and Sirius to stand outside the white line. Remus began stretching while Ali quickly French braided her hair. Once done she began to stretch herself.

Once the pair was loose, Ali shouted to Sirius, “Can you do me a favor and activate the ward. Just tap the line and say _Portago Totalum_.”

Sirius did as instructed and a shield in the shape of a half-sphere slowly rose into the air to cover the area. Remus pulled out his wand and aimed it at Ali.

“I feel like this is redundant, but please don’t throw anything to permanently maim me,” Ali yelled to Remus with a smirk.

Remus laughed and yelled back, “Of course.”

“Since this is the first time we are dueling, want to go until someone yields?” Ali asked.

“Sounds good!” Remus replied

“Wanna give up a countdown, Harry? From 5?”

“5….4….3….2….1…. GO!” Harry yelled

At once Remus flung a non-verbal, Incarcerous spell at Ali. Ropes flew at her but she was able to dive out of the way. Getting to her feet, she raised her hands up slowly, palms facing the ground and dust from the ground began to rise. Within seconds, the area was covered in a small dust storm, blocking the werewolf’s sight. Coughing, Remus shouts, “Ventus” causing a huge gust of wind to blow the sand away. In the distraction, Ali had called the water from the barrels to her and they were now spinning in two large rings around her.

“Stupify” Remus yelled, a beam of red light blasting from his wand. Ali reached behind her, and with a claw-like motion, gouged a softball-size chunk of dirt from the ball. Flinging it forward, the spell and the dirtball collided in mid-air causing a small explosion.

Repeating the motion, Ali began to throw ball after ball of dirt at Remus. The speed of the throws forced Remus to put up a strong Protago, pouring all of his energy into the shield.

By now, both of the duelers were covered in sweat. Continuing the barrage with her right hand, Ali used the distraction to form one of the water rings into a whip. Flicking her wrist, the water rope whipped around Remus’s right foot, holding him captive. With a mighty yank, Ali pulled the water whip, causing Remus to fall backward hard.

The werewolf’s breath whooshed out causing his concentration to break. His shield fell allowing to throw one last ball of dirt.

“Yield!” Remus yelled half a second before the ball smashed into his face.

The dirtball froze, then fell to the ground next to his head. Clapping could be heard from outside the wards. Returning the water to the barrels, Ali walked over to help Remus up.

“That was amazing!” Remus panted as Ali pulled him to his feet, “Your speed is unbelievable!”

Harry and Sirius had joined them by then, Sirius having taken the ward down after the fight was over.

“Bloody hell!” Sirius yelled, “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“That was wicked!” Harry said amazed.

“I’ve never seen anyone beat Moony so fast before. He’s one of the best duelers of our generation.” Sirius continued.

Ali smiled at the three then looked at Sirius.

“Ready for your turn?” She asked Sirius, ignoring the praise. She’d always struggled with compliments.

“Absolutely!” Sirius said, drawing his wand from his pocket.

Remus and Harry walked back to the opposite side of the white line. Ali returned to her end while Sirius took up the spot where Remus had been. Remus raised the wards this time.

“Friendly reminded not to maim me,” Ali yelled to Sirius.

“Only cause you asked so nicely, love,” Sirius yelled back, with a wink.

Ali blushed pink but rolled her eyes. Yelling to Harry for another countdown, the pair got into their stances.

“5….4….3….2….1…. GO!” Harry yelled again.

Ali lobbed a ball of dirt at Sirius before he could get off a spell.

“Not again, love,” Sirius yelled as he sidestepped the projectile. “Expulso!”

A blue beam of light shot from Sirius’ wand hitting Ali in the chest and blasting her off her feet. Landing hard, she quickly recovered, pulling the water from the barrels and using it to push her to her feet. Strands of hair had escaped her braid and she used one to wipe them away from her face. Spinning the water around herself again, she formed one wide ring rather than two like before. It spun diagonally around her.

“Stupify” yelled Sirius, but the red beam was swallowed by the water before it could reach Ali.

Thinking fast, Sirius stowed his wand and transformed into Padfoot. The large black dog sprinted towards Ali, easily dodging the water balls she was now throwing at him. When he was barely a foot from her, he jumped, trying to knock her over, but before he could, Ali used what was left of the water ring to slam into the dog’s side. Padfoot was thrown 15 feet to the left of her. Hitting the ground, Sirius quickly transformed back and on one knee shouted “Confringo”.

A large ball of fire exploded from his wand and speed towards Ali. Using its momentum, Ali stepped to the right, guiding the ball around her and back towards Sirius. Unprepared for his spell to be redirected, he had no time to respond and was blasted off his feet again. As he flew through the air, Ali called the water to her, formed it into a hundred different icicles then with a forward pushing motion with her hands, shot the icicles directly at Sirius.

“Yield” Sirius yelled from where he was on the ground.

The icicles froze in the air above Sirius became water again then splashed all over him.

“Oi!” Yelled a drenched Sirius, as he got to his feet. “That was cheating.”

Ali doubled over with laughter.

“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?” Laughed Sirius. Ali nodded as she continued to giggle.

As retaliation, Sirius ran over to her, picked her up and spun her around, getting her soaking wet in the process. Ali squealed but continued to laugh even though she was wet.

“Honestly,” said Remus with a laugh as he and Harry joined them, “you’d think he was raised in a barn.”

Everyone laughed again at that. Sirius finally put Ali down but his arms lingered around her waist. At some point during the spinning, Ali’s had ended up around his neck so the pair was standing incredibly close. Their eyes met and Ali blushed deeply. Sirius rubbed his thumb gently along her spine before winking and breaking the hold. Quickly, Ali turned and walked with Harry over to stand behind the white line. Remus gave Sirius a searching look, having noticed the interaction but Sirius ignored him, watching Ali walk away.

“Got something you wanna share with the class?” Remus asked archly

In response, Sirius flipped him the forks.

“Eloquent as ever, Pads.” Remus muttered, “Just try not to fuck this one up, yeah? I like Ali.”

“Shut it Moony,” Sirius said before huffing off to the right side of the training field. Rolling his eyes, Remus walked to the opposite side.

After watching both Sirius and Remus do it, Harry was able to raise the wards and together he and Ali gave a countdown.

“5….4….3….2….1…. GO!” they yelled.

The ensuing duel would best be described as fast and dirty. Sirius seemed peeved about something, though what, Ali thought, she had no idea. He flung spell after spell at Remus, hammering his defenses. It looked like Sirius would win but in the end, Remus was able to throw a fast stunner, knocking Sirius out.

Quickly taking the ward down, both Harry and Ali ran to check on Sirius. By the time they reached him, Remus had re-enervated him and he was sitting up from the ground.

“Are you all right, Sirius?” Ali asked worriedly.

“I’m fine, love. Just a stunner.” He reassured as Harry pulled him to his feet.

“Yeah, it would take a lot more than a stunner to get through his thick skull,” Harry said with a grin.

Sirius barked a laugh and began to roughhouse with Harry. Remus and Ali exchanged an exasperated look as they watched the pair.

“Just like how he and James used to fight,” Remus commented fondly, as Sirius got Harry in a headlock and began to mess up his already messy hair.

Ali smiled sadly at the comment before stepping up and breaking up the pair.

“Not the kind of fighting I was thinking about, you two.” She commented, smacking Sirius on the shoulder.

The pair broke apart at that but continued to laugh.

“So,” Ali asked Harry, once everyone had calmed down, “What did you learn?”

“Well, I definitely learned not to irritate you, Ali,” Harry said with a laugh. Remus and Sirius began to laugh again at the comment while Ali rolled her eyes.

“Besides that, anything else?” Ali asked trying to be serious but struggling.

“Well, I like how you used diversion with both Sirius and Remus. It makes dueling seem a bit like chess actually.” Harry replied thoughtfully.

“Good Harry!” Ali said with a smile, “That’s exactly how I want you to start thinking about it. My dad always talked about dueling being a very physical version of chess. You’re attacking and defending, learning a person’s style while also trying to figure out a strategy to beat it.”

“Let me guess, you’re also brilliant as chess,” Sirius asked jokingly.

“Actually, I’m terrible. My dad tried to teach me but I’ve never been good at it.” Ali said laughing. “Although it might be a good skill to work on.” She said to Harry.

“Ron and I play a lot and he’s fantastic at it” Harry commented.

“Well then, I’m making that your homework. I want you to play chess with as many people as you can over the summer, especially Ron. See if you can start to understand tactics and strategy.”

“I’m not sure I even know the difference between tactics and strategy,” Harry said ruefully.

“Tactics are short turn plans a person uses in a specific situation, while strategy is the general plan a person tries to stick to in order to and achieve a larger goal.”

“Definitely a Ravenclaw,” Sirius muttered and the group laughed.

A hoot sounded and the four looked up. Hedwig was soaring towards them, a letter attached to her leg.

“That must be the response from Mrs. Weasley,” Ali said, extending her arm so that Hedwig had a place to land.

The owl landed gracefully and extended her leg to Ali. Detaching the letter, Ali thanked her. Hedwig nipped her shoulder in response then flew to rest on Harry’s shoulder. Ali quickly opened the letter and read the response.

“Perfect! She’s agreed to meet me this afternoon at the Burrow for some tea.” Ali looked up at the boys, “Sorry to duel and dash but I have to go shower and get ready to talk to Mrs. Weasley.”

“That’s fine,” Remus said with a smile. “We can work with Harry without you for the rest of today’s lesson.”

“Thanks, guys,” Ali said smiling back, “I better get going now. We are meeting in about an hour and a half and I want to grab some things from the garden to take to her.”

Ali departed then, waving to the boys as they waved back then turned to begin giving more instruction to Harry.

 _It had been a good workout_ , Ali thought. She had been surprised that she was able to beat both Sirius and Remus. Both were excellent fighters though and she was glad that they were staying the summer. She knew she could learn a lot from practicing regularly with both.

Walking back through the garden, she thought about the upcoming conversation with Mrs. Weasley. She knew it was vital that she convince the matriarch of the Weasley family the importance of preparing the children.

Opening her door, she began to strip out of her sweaty workout clothing. Walking into the bathroom, she flicked her wrist, sending them to the hamper. Turning on the shower, she waited for it to heat up. A few moments later, she stepped in and began to clean up. She continued to plan her the conversation in her head as she showered. Stepping out she grabbed her towel and dried herself off. Wrapping it around herself, she wandered into her closet. Deciding to go with a mix of no-mag and magic clothing, she pulled on a beautiful pale blue sundress. It had thick straps and a sweetheart neckline with a belt around her waist. Grabbing the necklace her mother had given to her on the last birthday she had been alive for, she clipped it on. It was a simple silver chain with a single raw cut diamond hanging from it. Bending to grab a pair of light brown ankle boots, she slipped them on. Moving to a different part of her closet, she pulled out a navy-blue set of British style witches robes. Pulling the robes on over the dress, she examined herself in the full-length mirror. Decided to put on a little makeup, Ali turned around and walked back into the bathroom. A light dusting of eyeshadow, some eyeliner and a dash of lipstick and she felt she was presentable.

Exiting her room, she walked over to her garden. During her shower, she had decided to grab some of the recently bloomed tulips and make a bouquet to take with her. Entering the garden, she walked to a small gardening box and pulled out a set of pruning shears. Moving to the tulips, she cut enough to make a small, bunch. Satisfied with her effort, she returned the shears to the box and carried the bouquet into the conservatory. Opening a drawer of the side table, she extracted a section of silver ribbon. Cutting it down to size, she wrapped the ends of the flowers in the ribbon, tying it with a neat bow. Patting her pockets, she realized that she had forgotten the teleportation stone in her room. Leaving the bouquet on the side table, she quickly walked back to her room to grab the stone. Opening the door to her suite, she quickly walked over to her bedside table and grabbed the other stone paired with the one she sent earlier that morning to Mrs. Weasley’s. Remembering that she needed to check in with Severus, she wrote herself a note before turning and exiting the room. Walking down the hall, she almost slammed into Sirius as he was returning from the lesson with Harry.

“Careful there, love,” Sirius said steadying her. Once she was stable, he seemed to notice the change of clothing. His eyes darkened with an emotion that Ali didn’t recognize. She blushed and looked at her feet. Fingers lifted her chin, forcing her to look back up at Sirius.

“You look beautiful, Ali,” Sirius said gravely. Ali blinked at the compliment then smiled tentatively. Their eyes met for a long moment before Ali broke it, reminding him that she had to get going. Nodding, he released his hold on her waist and stepped aside to allow her to pass. Ali briskly walked back to grab the flowers, not noticing that Sirius watched her intensely as she walked away from him.

Grabbing the bouquet from the side table, Ali left the conservatory and headed to the front door. She walked briskly to the apparition point, knowing she had only a minute or two before she was supposed to be there. When she reached the spot, she closed her eyes, gripped both the flowers in one hand and the stone in the other, tightly than vanished with a pop.


	7. Tea time chat and Movie night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali has a discussion with Mrs. Weasley. Later, the boys and Ali have a movie night.

Ali landed lightly outside the wards of the Burrow. Looking around, she took in her surroundings. A well-worn path wound from the gate up to the back of the house. The house itself seemed to be a taunt to any no-mag architect. Tall and narrow, the Burrow was old but well-loved. It looked as though the owner had built addition after addition on top of the ground floor as the family grew in size. It only seemed possible if the entire place was held up with magic. A large garden sat behind the house filled with magical plants and vegetables. 

Ali smiles to herself. She could see why Harry loved this place so much. While it might not be a big beautiful old manor like Wildwood, the Burrow has such a homey vibe that anyone who saw it felt immediately.

Tucking the stone back in her robe pocket, Ali began the walk up the garden path. Chickens were scattered around the property and as she approached, Ali heard what sounded like a small explosion from one of the upstairs bedrooms. Looking up, Ali watching as a window opened a few floors up. Smoke spilled out and a pair of identical heads could be seen poking out, coughing because of the smoke. 

Shaking her head goodnaturedly, Ali called up a hello to the twins. The twins waved back but didn’t say anything, still coughing from the explosion. 

Ali continued to walk forward until she reached the kitchen door. Straighten her robes one last time, she raised her right fist and knocked. Loud noises could be heard from behind the door before a set of footsteps came closer. The door swung open to reveal a young redheaded girl. 

Recognizing her, the girl turned and shouted over her shoulder into the house, “MUM! ALI'S HERE!” Turning back the girl smiled and introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Ginny.” 

“Ali Saint Clair,” Ali replied and the pair shook hands. 

Ginny opened the door wider and allowed Ali to walk inside. 

The kitchen was rustic in design, as most Wizarding dwellings were. A large table took up the majority of the space, while the cabinets, stove, sink, and fireplace lined the walls. Noises could be heard from upstairs, which Ali assumed was the twin's experiments again. Turning to face the other person in the room, Ali’s face split into a large smile. Mrs. Weasley was bustling around, prepping a tray of sandwiches and tea of her guest. 

“Hi, Mrs. Weasley,” Ali said, the smile still on her face. 

Mrs. Weasley turned to Ali and smiles back. 

“Ali! So lovely of you to come to visit. Let me look at you.” She said walking towards her. Examining her, she shook her head “too skinny.” She muttered to herself. “Have a set, dear,” she said, gesturing to the table. 

Ali sat and Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand, causing the tray of tea and sandwiches to setting on the table before she joined Ali at the table. 

Before grabbing a sandwich, Ali handed over the bouquet. 

“Oh, these are beautiful!” Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, “so thoughtful of you.” She flicked her wand and a vase flew from one of the cabinets. Using the tip of her want to fill it, she set the flowers in the vase. 

Ali smiles then began to fill her plate. She then poured two cups of tea, one for Mrs. Weasley and one for herself. Passing it over to her, the pair each took a sip. During the exchange, Ginny had left the kitchen to head outside. Mrs. Weasley turned her attention back to Ali. 

“I was surprised to get your letter, dear. I didn’t expect to hear from you until we visited next week.” 

“Well, something came up and I thought it would be best to discuss it before you came to stay,” Ali said politely.

“Is everything alright? Is Harry ok?” Mrs. Weasley asked, worry filling her voice. 

“Oh yes, everything’s fine, Mrs. Weasley. Harry’s doing great. He’s settling in well at Wildwood and seems to be enjoying it.” 

“That’s lovely, dear.” Mrs. Weasley said with relief. “And please, call me Molly. Our children are very close so I suspect we will get to know each other very well.” 

At that, Ali smiles wide. That was the first time anyone had called Harry hers. A warmth filled her heart as she thought about the family she was finally able to call hers. 

“Molly it is.” She confirmed, and the pair smiled at each other.

“Now dear, what was it you wanted to discuss?” Molly asked kindly. 

“Well, it’s actually related to Harry. I realized years ago the potential danger Harry could end up in. When Lily made me his Godmother, my sight gave me a glimpse of a possible future of his.” She looked down at her cup and sighed. “To be honest, it scared me. I saw this young man, no older than 17 fighting for his life against full-grown adults. I saw other children fighting with him, dying around him.” Ali’s eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. “My baby godson, who was barely a week old at the time, died before my eyes.”

Molly gasped at that. 

“I know.” Ali said in response, “I couldn’t believe it. How had the little boy held in my arms turned into a soldier? Why hadn’t he been protected?”

“But surely there is something to be done!” Molly exclaimed, horrified by the idea of Harry dying. 

A hard glint appeared in Ali’s eye, “That’s exactly what I thought. I couldn’t accept that future. Wouldn’t allow it to happen. So ever since, I’ve been preparing for it, working to ensure that he never has to have that fate.”

Molly looked at Ali with a mix of relief and worry. “What can I do to help, dear? That is why you are here, isn’t it?” 

Ali smiles at her offer, touched by how much love the Weasley matriarch had for her godson. 

“That’s partially why I’m here, yes. You see, Harry brought up a point to me last night and it stumped me. I’ve designed my house with Harry’s safety in mind. I was showing him everything he told me and his godfather that he wanted to learn how to fight.” 

At that, Molly made a disagreeing noise.

“I know,” Ali said, “that is literally the last thing I want.” 

Molly looked relieved at her response and Ali continued. 

“I’ve spent the past 10 years working to prevent the future where Harry is forced to fight in the war. I promised his mother I would do everything in my power to ensure his safety. And frankly,” Ali said, getting agitated, “no child should be forced to join the coming conflict.” 

Molly was nodding profusely in agreement. She was glad to know that Harry’s godmother prioritized his safety so much. It was the sign of a good mother. 

“I told Harry as much when he mentioned fighting to me last night. I swear, I would wrap that boy in bubble wrap if I thought I could get away with it.” 

At that, Molly looked confused.

“Sorry, no-mag thing. Bubble wrap is basically like a form of plastic protection.”

“Ah!” Molly said, understand the reference. 

“Anyways, if I could get away with it, I’d lock Harry away somewhere safe until this is all over but I know that’s not practical.”

Molly looked unconvinced. Ali sighed, stood up and walked towards the sink, looking into the back garden with unseeing eyes. The kitchen was silent for a moment. 

“I don’t remember how much I told everyone about my background the other day,” Ali said, back still to Molly. “My dad is a wizard, but my mom was a no-mag. My powers started showing up pretty early when I was a child and I remember when my parents realized that I was different than other magical kids. It was winter when I was around 4 years old, my parents had left me playing with some toys in the living room. There was a fire going but it was blocked so I couldn't hurt myself. They were only gone a few minutes but when they came back, they found me with a tiny ball of flames in my hand. Apparently, I had learned how to call one of the elements and had grabbed some of it from the fire. My mom was scared but my dad understood what it had to mean. Worse still, he knew what my being an Elemental would mean for my safety.” Ali turned back to face Molly. “Even with us being so rare, Elementals have always been coveted for their potential for being weapons. We don’t need spells or charms to harness magic, it innately responds to us. And we are powerful, always so, so powerful. “She sighed and rubbed her face. “It took my mom a bit to understand the severity of the discovery. My dad eventually explained that it was similar to how superheroes had to hide their identities to protect themselves and those they loved from the bad guys.” Ali smiled slightly, “My dad is a big superhero fan so I read a lot of comics as a kid.” Molly nodded, unsure how this was connected but fascinated none the less. “I remember telling my parents one time when they were reminding me about the importance of keeping my gifts a secret, that I should just get a mask. That’s what all my favorite superheroes did after all. For some reason, that answer didn’t make my parents happy. It made them sad for reasons I didn’t understand at the time. My mom eventually sad me down and explained it. She told me that the bad guys in this world weren’t like the bad guys I read about in all my comics. They wouldn’t care that I was a kid, they wouldn’t care that I was special. They would kidnap me, killing anyone who got in the way and try and turn me into something horrible, something evil. And if they couldn’t turn me, they’d kill me without a second thought.”

The kitchen fell silent after that pronouncement. Ali looked pensive while Molly looked shocked. It seemed unimaginable to say something like that to a child. And yet, another part of her understood what Ali’s mother had been trying to do.

“My mom passed not long after that conversation but I always remembered it and I was reminded of it again last night. I realized how similar Harry and I are. My childhood ended when I began to understand that conversation and Harry’s ended when his parents died. I’m lucky because my dad has always been there to protect me but from that day onward I know I had a target on my back just the way Harry does. I know my mom desperately wanted me to have a normal experience growing up and I will do everything in my power to make sure Harry does as well but, Molly,” Ali kneeled in front of Molly and grabbed both of her hands, “Voldemort wants Harry dead and he won’t stop until one of them is dead.”

At that point, both women began to cry silently. They cried in pain for the childhoods that were lost. They cried in anger for the evil they were facing. But most of all, they cried at the understanding every parent eventually comes to. At some point in every child’s life, their parent realizes that they can no longer protect them. They can’t shield them from everything even if they desperately want to. There is evil in the world and no child can stay innocent of it forever. The best a parent can hope for is that they have prepared their child enough to face it.

Ali and Molly cried quietly for several minutes. Finally, the pair wiped their eyes, Molly patting Ali on the head and Ali returned to her chair.

“I feel like I’m failing him,” Ali said after a moment of silence, staring off into nothing. “Like I’m breaking my promise to Lily to protect him.”

Molly reached across the table to grasp one of her hands.

“You aren’t, dear. I knew Lily before she died and I know she would have supported your decision.”

Ali smiled weakly at that and used the sleeve of her robe to wipe the last of her tears away. Sighing deeply, she squeezed Molly’s hand then let go.

“Thank you, Molly. That means a lot.”

“I knew from the moment I met you that you were going to be good for Harry. Good for all of us.”

Ali ducked her head at that, blushing.

“Now, as much as I appreciate you telling me all of this, I don’t understand what this has to do with me.”

“Right, sorry. Got off in the weeds a bit.” Ali said, straightening. “The reason I’m telling you all of this is because Harry and I aren’t the only ones with targets on their backs.” Looking Molly dead in the eyes, she continued, “Your whole family is in danger. You and Arthur did an amazing thing bringing Harry into your family. He’s your son, in every way but blood.” Molly nodded fiercely at that. “But that puts y’all in incredible danger. I mean look at all this craziness Harry, Ron and Hermione have managed to get up to. How Dumbledore has allowed that to happen I will never understand but I worry that it will only get worse. Ron and Hermione both have huge targets on their backs because of their friendship. All the rest of you do as well because you are his surrogate family. Add to that, yours’s and Arthur’s membership in the Order and championship of the light, and you all need to be prepared. War is coming and I’m betting that you are going to be some of the top other sides top targets.”

“But you said you didn’t want to turn the children into warriors!” Molly exclaimed, “I won’t allow my children to become soldiers anymore then you will Harry.”

“I’m not suggesting that.” Ali said soothingly “What I’m suggesting is that when y’all come to stay with us at Wildwood, your children and Hermione join Harry in daily self-defense lessons.”

Molly looked unsure but Ali pressed on. “I’m not saying that we train them 24/7 but I think it’s important that they practice defense every day for maybe an hour or two. I still plan on making sure a majority of Harry’s summer is spent playing quidditch or just generally having fun but I want to also prepare him for what is to come.”

“They’re just children,” Molly said weakly in a last-ditch attempt to get around Ali’s logic.

“They are, Molly but that stopped being a protection the second Voldemort rose again.”

Molly flinched at the name but didn’t have another defense.

“I promise it won’t be as bad as you are thinking. Remus has agreed to help teach them some advanced DADA and Sirius said he would show them some of his old Auror training.”

At the mention of Sirius, Molly scowled.

Ali’s mouth quirked at her look, “Has Ron had a chance to explain everything yet?”

“Yes, he explained it all to Arthur and me the night he came home. I still have trouble believing it but if Dumbledore says he’s innocent than I guess he is.”

Ali harrumphed at the mention of Dumbledore, still generally unhappy with the man, but chose to hold it in.

“I’m trying to think of it as a study group for the kids' upcoming OWLs. Obviously, we aren’t going to be teaching them anything dark or dangerous. I just want them to feel confident that if the worst comes, they will be able to defend themselves.”

At that, Molly finally acquiesced. She wasn’t happy about the idea of her children learning to dual but Ali had made a good point.

“Very well,” she said with a sigh, “The children are allowed to join Harry in his defense lessons while we are staying at Wildwood.”

Ali let out a breath of air in relief. “Thank you, Molly. I know how much it is to ask of you but I have to believe that it’s the right choice.”

Molly nodded and the pair finished their tea. Standing to leave, Ali was surprised to receive a crushing hug from the matriarch.

“You take care of yourself now, young lady, you hear me,” Molly said, holding her tight.

Ali squeezed back, a knot forming in her throat.

“I promise I will.” She said and the two broke apart. “Thank you so much for allowing me over.”

“Oh, of course, dear. You are welcome anytime.”

The pair walked to the door and Molly opened it.

“See you next week!” Ali said with a smile, stepping out into the garden.

They exchanged one last hug before Ali turned and walked back out of the garden. Her feelings were mixed after her tea with Mrs. Weasley. On one hand, she was glad the woman had agreed to let her children train with Harry. On the other, her heart was heavy over it being necessary in the first place.

Sighing, she made it to the gate, exited the property and turned back to the house. It looked exactly as it had and Ali fervently hoped it always would. In the distance, Ali thought she could make out a flying figure practicing on a broom. The long hair had her guessing where Ginny had disappeared to. Smiling, Ali pulled out the stone to take her some from her robe’s pocket, closed her eyes and disappeared with a pop.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ali landed back at the manor with a pop. The sun was beginning to set so she started walking up the path quickly. Once inside, she began looking around for the boys. She peeked her head in the library and found Remus sitting comfortably in one of the armchairs. Sirius and Harry didn’t appear to be with him.

“Hey, Remus,” Ali said, walking towards him.

Remus looked up from his book and smile. “Good afternoon, Ali. How was your visit with Mrs. Weasley?”

Ali flopped down on the couch next to Remus’ chair with a sigh.

“It went well. I was able to convince her that it was for the best to allow all the kids to train a bit while everyone was staying at the manor.”

Remus looked surprised at that.

“How’d you manage that? We were convinced that she wouldn’t be willing to budge an inch over the idea.”

“Yeah, I was a bit surprised as well. I ended up talking to her a lot about the job of a parent and what it really means to protect your children.”

Remus nodded thoughtfully.

“Where are the boys?” Ali asked, very obviously changing the subject.

“On the quidditch pitch,” Remus said with a smile.

Ali laughed, “I should have guessed.”

“It’s good seeing the two of them together,” Remus commented. “I haven’t seen Sirius this happy in years.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. It’s got to have been really rough to endure 12 years in Azkaban wrongly accused. It’s a miracle it made it out in one piece.”

Remus looked guilty as he responded, “Yeah, it truly is.” He paused before continuing, “I still blame myself for not saying anything.”

“What do you mean?”

Remus sighed, putting his book aside, “I knew he couldn’t have betrayed James and Lily. That just isn’t him. Even with all the evidence pointing to him, I just knew it didn’t make sense.” Sighing, he rubbed his eyes, “I should have said something. Should have tried to press for him to get a trial at least.”

Ali pursed her lips in thought, “From the information I have, I don’t know if there was a lot you could have done. I don’t mean to sound like an asshole, but as a werewolf, your testimony wasn’t going to do much. It might have even hurt him. Which is bullshit, by the way.” She finished, firing up in anger.

Remus noticed the passion in her eyes and gave her a half-smile. “Try not to start the place on fire over me, please.”

Blinking in confusion at the comment, Ali looked at Remus questioningly. He opened his mouth to explain but it clicked for her before he needed to.

“Sirius told you about the connection between my emotions and the elements, didn’t he?”

“He might have mentioned that you almost started the kitchen on fire with a rant last night,” Remus said with a smile.

Ali growled, “I did not almost start the kitchen on fire.” The fire in the library fireplace began to leap as her temper grew.

Remus looked pointedly at the fire and Ali glanced over.

“Ugh,” she said grumpily. She took a moment to gather her temper before turning back to Remus who looked to be holding in laughter. “You can stop giggling now, mister.” She responded, sticking her tongue out.

That only made him laugh louder and Ali eventually joined in, chuckling at the circumstances.

Settling down, Ali muttered to herself, “If this is what a sibling is like, I take back all the times I wished for one as a kid.”

Remus just smiled at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Most of the time, the quiet and reserved man seemed like the odd man out among the Marauders but right that moment, Ali realized that he was just much better at hiding it then Sirius and James ever were. Making a mental note to herself about possibly pranking the mischievous man, she looped back to finish the conversation they had been distracted from.

“What I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted,” She said with a mock glare at Remus. “is that it’s not your fault that Sirius spent so much time in Azkaban. It’s the justice systems fault for not giving him a trial and Dumbledore for not pushing to exonerate him when he was able to.”

Remus frowned, “You think Dumbledore could have gotten him out?”

“I think Dumbledore is a genius who has a lot of sway in the wizarding world. I don’t think there is much that man couldn’t do if he really wanted to.” Ali replied darkly.

Something clicked in Remus’ head at the comment. “You don’t trust Dumbledore, do you.” It wasn’t a question.

“No, I don’t,” Ali said firmly.

“Why?” Remus asked, genuinely curious. He had begun to trust Ali’s opinion so he was curious what about the great wizard she disliked.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Ali said thoughtfully, “I don’t like that he put Harry in an abusive home, obviously. But it’s more than that. I can’t put my finger on it but something about him doesn’t sit right. My gut is telling me not to trust him completely and I’ve learned to trust my gut.”

“Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of the age,” Remus said with a frown. Something in what Ali had said hit on a feeling he had begun to have.

“Yeah well, great doesn’t equate good, does it now,” Ali said cryptically.

Before Remus could respond to that philosophical statement, the library door flew open and the laughing forms of Harry and Sirius stumbled in. They looked around for a moment before spotting Remus and Ali. Bounding over to join them, Sirius began to regale them on the events of the afternoon.

“You should have seen him! Merlin, the boy is a brilliant flyer. Just like his father.” Sirius said, ruffling Harry’s hair. Harry gave him a wide grin at the compliment. Flopping down on the couch next to Ali, he threw an arm to rest behind her head and raked another though his dark hair. Harry sank into the other armchair opposite Remus’.

Laughing at the pair, Ali said, “Well I’m glad you two had fun but you are both disgusting.” Removing Sirius’ arm from around her as though it was contagious, she theatrically pinched her nose. “Get off my couch and go shower, you stinky mutt.”

Sirius put his hands over his heart as though he had been mortally wounded. “Stinky mutt!” He said in an overly dramatic tone. Standing he flipped his hair over his shoulder in mock outrage. “Come on, Harry. We don’t need to stand for this slander.”

Laughing Harry got back up and followed his godfather as he flounced out of the room leaving Ali and Remus cracking up behind them.

“Note to self, Sirius is a gigantic drama queen,” Ali said as she continued to giggle.

“You got that right,” Remus said, continuing to laugh. “Fastest way to get that idiot to react is to insult his appearance.” Leaning over conspiratorially he said, “Specifically his hair. Merlin, I’ve never seen a man so in love with his own hair.”

Ali’s eyes twinkled with mischief at the information and she winked at Remus. “Good to know.”

The pair laughed again than Ali stood up.

“Well,” she said, stretching her arms above her head, “I better go get started on dinner. Knowing those two, they will be back demanding to be fed the minute they are out of the shower.”

Remus laughed than offered, “Want some help?”

Ali gave him a sweet smile at the offer, “Nah I’m good, Remus. I was thinking of making something easy. I’m not up for making anything big tonight.”

Remus nodded and Ali left the library for the kitchen. Moving over to one side of the room, she pulled out an old tape deck. Her friend Georgiana had worked a spell on it to allow it to play even with all the magic in the air. She put a tape in and music began coming from the speaker.

Humming along to the music, she opened the fridge. After opening the drawers, she decided to do a stir fry. She had some vegetables to use up and she figured the boys wouldn’t mind it. Pulling a package of meat along with some veggies from the fridge, she closed it, placed them on the counter and moved to the pantry to grab some packets of noodles.

As she prepped the meal, she danced along with the music completely oblivious to the audience she had gained.

Sirius leaned on the doorframe watching the little women dance around a bit uncoordinatedly to the rock music pours from the small speakers. A small smile formed on his handsome face as he admitted to himself how cute she looked. Running his hand through his damp hair, he pushed off the doorframe.

“Is this a private dance party or is it open to the public?” Sirius asked with a smirk

Ali jumped in surprise.

“God, Sirius, you scared the pants off of me!” Ali yelped.

Sirius paused as in walking towards Ali and wiggled his eyebrows at her unintended innuendo.

Rolling her eyes at him, she threw a piece of red pepper at his in retaliation.

“You know what I meant, you mongrel.” She said exasperatedly as he barked a laugh.

“Mongrel! That’s the second time you’ve insulted Padfoot. I’ll have you know, Ms. Saint Clair, he is a lovely purebred Wolfhouse.”

“Purebred Wolfhound! Ha! He’s a mangy old mutt!” Ali teased.

Sirius marched over to stand nose to nose with her.

“Take it back.” He growled although Ali could see the playful glint in his eyes.

Crossing her arms, she called his bluff, “Or what?”

“Or this,” Sirius said, leaning down as those to kiss her.

Ali’s breath stopped and her eyes widened in shock. At the last second, however, Sirius transformed into Padfoot and proceeded to slobber all over her face.

“EWWWWW” Ali squealed, shoving the large dog off her. Padfoot gave a wheezing dog laugh and danced away from her. Spotting a broom, Ali grabbed it up and proceeded to whack his repeatedly yelling “BAD MUTT”.

At that exact moment, Harry and Remus entered the kitchen. Both pairs froze Ali in mid-swing about to whack Padfoot again. Harry and Remus glanced at each other then back at the woman and dog.

“Honestly, I don’t even want to know.” Remus eventually said with a sign. Harry burst out laughing at Remus’ response.

Sirius transformed back looking a bit guilty while Ali put the broom down, blushing bright pink. Harry eventually stopped laughing and decided to help Sirius set the table. Ali turned back to the pan and finished adding the ingredients for the stir-fry. Remus just rolled his eyes at the awkwardness, remembering the many times he walked in on James and Sirius doing weird stuff.

Eventually, dinner was ready and the four settled around the table. Once everyone was fed, Harry asked Ali how her visit to the Burrow went.

“It was really wonderful. I can see why you love it so much.” Harry smiled at that. “I received the standard Weasley greeting of twins blowing something up in their bedroom and being crushed to death by Molly.” The boys laughed. Ali continued, “I managed to convince her into letting the kids train with us when they are here.”

Both Harry and Sirius looked suitably impressed at that.

“I can’t believe you convinced her,” Harry said, mirroring Remus’ earlier sentiments.

Ali shrugged it off. “While she can be stubborn at times, Molly puts the safety of her children above everything. I wouldn’t put it past her to kill anyone who tried to someone she considered family.”

The boys nodded in agreement, each marveling at the scary level of protectiveness the women in their lives had.

The rest of the meal passed quietly, the four talking about their days and the plans for the rest of the week. It was Tuesday night so they had 4 days before the Weasley’s were arriving. Once everyone had eaten their fill, Remus offered to clean up. Getting an idea, Ali told Remus to meet them in the upstairs living room before gabbing Sirius and Harry by the hand and dragging them out. Moving quickly the trio walking to the main stairs. Ali had dropped Harry’s hand by then but seemed not to notice that she and Sirius were still holding hands. Sirius did however but was careful not to bring attention to it.

He had really begun to fall for the young woman next to him hard. It was a bit of a new experience for him if he was honest with himself. He’d been a bit of a player at school but never before had he both been attracted to and genuinely liked a woman at the same time. He had been drawn to her right from the beginning. Seeing Ali fight to protect Harry had won Sirius over faster than he thought possible but it wasn’t just that. He was starting to enjoy the little things about her. Like the way she furrowed her brow when she was concentrating. Or how passionate she was about everything. Even her ability to accidentally drop innuendos all the time charmed the dark-haired man’s heart. He knew it would be a challenge to win her over. Ali seemed completely oblivious to any signs he was sending. Remus’ warning was also still stuck in his head. He didn’t need it though. He looked down at their still entwined hands and smiled. This one was worth it.

Entering the living room, Ali guided them over to a long squishy leather couch easily big enough to hold 8-10 people. Against the wall was a large wooden shelving unit. Moving over to it, she went to use her hands to open a set of cabinets only to realize she and Sirius were still holding hands. Her eyes widened and she blushed a deep red. Sirius gave her a half-smile, squeezed her hand once then let it drop, walking over to sprawl on the couch next to Harry. Oblivious as ever, Harry missed the exchange entirely. Completely flustered she stood there blinking for a moment. Shaking her head to clear it, she turned back to the shelves and opened the doors revealing a large television.

“Gigi, genius that she is, was not only able to finagle the tape deck to work around magic but also managed to charm both the TV and VHS player to work.” Turning back to Harry and Sirius, she smiled brightly. “I was thinking we could watch a movie.”

Both Harry and Sirius were excited about the idea and proceeded to spend the next 10 minutes arguing over which one to watch. Only when Remus joined them were they able to agree on one to watch. Remus flicked his wand to dim the lights while Ali popped in the tape. The opening scene of Pulp Fiction began to play as they all settled into the sofa. Ali was curled up at one end of the couch, Sirius next to her. Beside him was Harry and at the other end was Remus. The group thoroughly enjoyed the movie. About halfway through, Remus glanced at the other people on the couch. Harry was lounging, in a similar way to his father, absorbed in the movie. Remus smiled to himself at that thought. Further down, he noticed that Sirius had subtly placed his arm behind Ali on the back of the couch. She seemed to not notice that she was starting to gently lean into his side. Remus hoped that Sirius had heard what he had said earlier. He liked Ali a lot and didn’t want to see her heartbroken.

When the movie came to an end, Harry tried to talk the adults into another one but wasn’t successful. Ali promised that they could watch another tomorrow. Standing up, the group began to disperse, Harry yawning a goodnight while Remus mumbled something about the library. All of a sudden Ali and Sirius found themselves alone. They were still sitting on the couch like they had been during the movie. Ali’s head had ended up on Sirius’ shoulder and Sirius was running a hand slowly through her hair. Trying not to break the spell, Sirius slowly pulled her closer into his side. It didn’t work and Ali looked up at him sharply, a confused expression on her face. Instead of responding to her questioning eyes, Sirius leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. His hand was now rested on the back of her neck, his thumb slowly rubbing back and forth along her jaw. Ali had no idea what was going on but she closed her eyes anyway. Something about Sirius’ hand on her neck just felt right. Seeing her eyes flutter shut, Sirius gave her a gentle smile before kissing her on the forehead for the second time.

“We should get to bed, love,” Sirius said in a deeper voice than usual.

Ali nodded sleepily, her eyes still closed. With her nose buried in Sirius’ shoulder, each breath filled her nose with his sent. Oil and leather mixed with a smell distinctly his own. She realized suddenly how much she liked his smell. Startled by the thought she pulled back slightly. Unperturbed by her move away, Sirius slid his hand from her neck down her arm and gather her left hand in his own. Getting to his feet, he used their joined hands to pull her up as well. Together, the pair left the living room and walked towards their suites. Reaching the hall, Sirius walked them past his door to stop before Ali’s. Pulling her in for a hug, he kissed her forehead one last time before wishing her goodnight and walking back up the hall to his suite. Ali was left completely stunned and didn’t move until his door had clicked shut. In a daze, she opened her door and began to get ready for bed. Finally, settling into bed, she thought back on the day she had had.

She was happy with the conversation she had with Mrs. Weasley. It was still a bit off to think of her by her first name. She smiled when she thought about Harry and how happy he seemed. Her thoughts eventually turned to her interactions with Sirius. Unfortunately, she was completely perplexed by his actions. She didn’t know what to think. He seemed to be trying to put the moves on her but that couldn’t be right. He was Sirius Black, player extraordinaire. No way would he be interested in someone like her. Utterly confused, she decided the best course of action was to write a letter to Georgiana the next day and get her advice. Gigi was much better with men then she was, she would be able to explain what was going on. Happy with that course of action, Ali curled up on her side and drifted off to sleep.


	8. A Chance Encounter and the Thinktank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali visits London and meets an interesting relative. The Weasley's come to visit.

The next morning, Ali woke up earlier than normal. Stumbling into the kitchen, she made coffee and put some oatmeal to cook on the stove. Satisfied that the boys could manage, she grabbed her mug and headed back to her room to write her letter. Sitting at her desk, she pulled out some paper and a pen. Looking out her window, she gathered her thoughts then began to write.

_Dear Gigi,_

_Hope everything is going well for you. I miss you being here. The house was so empty after you left. Thankfully, Harry is finally here along with his Godfather and an old friend of his dad’s. It’s been so amazing having Harry around. He reminds me so much of Lily sometimes. I wish you could have met her. Before I forget, Harry loved his room! Thank you so much for your help. I can’t remember how much I told you in my last letter about how he grew up but it wasn’t great so I’m glad he has a safe place to call home now. A bunch of his friends are going to be spending the summer with us as well so the house is about it get crazy. He’s friends with a family of 7 kids. All redheads! It’s bananas but they are the sweetest people. I had tea with the mom, Mrs. Weasley (although I’m supposed to call her Molly), yesterday and it was so lovely. She gave me a big hug when I was leaving and it reminded me so much of my mom that I almost cried. Harry tells me she’s also a fantastic cook so I have a sneaky hope she will teach me some more recipes to cook._

_We used the VHS player last night to watch a movie! It worked perfectly, you brilliant woman. The boys can’t get enough of it. I have a feeling we are going to be watching a lot of movies this summer. I wonder if there might be a way to rig it up so we can watch some outside. Remember that drive-in we went to a couple of summers ago? I remember it being so much fun._

_I miss having you has my dueling buddy. Harry’s Godfather, Sirius, and I decided that with the current climate in Britain and because of who Harry is, that we are going to work with him on his dueling. That was actually part of the reason I went to see Molly (feels weird writing it). With Harry being trained, we figured that the rest of the kids would want to learn as well while they were staying with us. I managed to convince Molly that it was a good idea but I still feel like I’m doing the wrong thing. I keep remembering the little baby I held all those years ago. I can’t believe I actually argued for teaching him to fight. I know you know what my dad would say but I can’t help feeling horrible about the whole thing. He’s not even 15 and yet we are training him for battle. A small part of me just wants to grab him and run away. Take him as far away from here as I can. But I know I can’t do that. It’s just so frustrating that I can’t keep him safe forever._

Ali broke off writing and looking out the window. Gigi had been her best friend for almost 20 years now. She could hear her voice telling her that she had made the right decision but her heart still ached. Turning back to her letter, she continued.

_So, I might not be writing this letter just to check-in. I need your advice. It’s about Harry’s godfather, Sirius. I’m really confused by the way he’s been behaving. It feels like he might be flirting with me at times but I have no idea. He’s this ridiculously handsome man and I’m, well, me. It doesn’t help that I remember hearing about his exploits from Lily. Apparently, he was a bit of a lady’s man at school. I think the phrase Lily used was ‘a rotating roster of floozies”. I don’t know what to think, Gigi. I think I could really like him but I don’t want to be a notch on his bedpost. Especially since we are going to both be in Harry’s life forever. Can you imagine how awkward that would be! Ugh, I have no idea what to do or what to think. Maybe I’m just overthinking everything. For all I know, he could just be being nice. I am in desperate need of advice. I have no idea what to do._

_I miss you lots! Let me know about coming to visit again. I had an idea the other day about maybe hosting a party either around the 4_ _th_ _or possibly on Harry’s birthday. Themed possibly! Let me know asap._

_Thanks again for all the help on the house._

_Lots of love,_

_Ali_

Ali finished the letter and looked it over. Nodding to herself, she folded it up and put it in an envelope. Leaving it on her desk, she got up to get dressed for dueling practice. Once ready she grabbed the letter off her desk and walked back to the kitchen. It was a little past 9 and the boys were all awake. A chorus of ‘good mornings’ greeted her as she walked in. Smiling, she walked over to the counter and poured herself another cup of coffee.

Turning to face them, she rested her butt on the counter and said, “I was thinking of going into London this afternoon. I want to send a letter and I need to pick up some groceries.”

At the mention of a letter, Harry looked up, “You can just use Hedwig again if that’s easier.” He offered.

Ali smiled at him, “Thanks Harry but I was actually thinking about getting my own owl. It’s gotten to be a bit of a hassle having to stop in London every time I want to mail something.”

Harry nodded in understanding and went back to eating his breakfast. The group finished up then trooped out to the training area. They spent an hour working with Harry on the basics of dueling. It went well although Harry did tend to rely too much on the disarming spell.

Once practice was done, Harry asked if he could go to Diagon Alley with Ali. Remus offered to come with as well as extra protection. Sirius convinced Ali that he should go as well but as Padfoot. Sighing, Ali realized that her small errand had turned into a family outing. Shaking her head, she separated from the boys and headed off to get ready. She showered quickly and donned a set of light green American witch’s robes and her brown ankle boots. She liked the more fitted look even though it made her stand out in wizarding London. Dabbing on a bit of makeup, she looked herself over in the mirror, decided she was presentable and left her suite. The boys were waiting for her in the entrance hall, each freshly showered after the workout. Harry was dressed in muggle jeans and a t-shirt while Remus was wearing a set of slightly worn robes. Sirius, already in his Padfoot form, came loping over to Ali when she entered. Rolling her eyes at his antics, she smiled and turned to the other two.

“Ready?” she asked.

They nodded and the four left the house and walked towards the apparition point. Pulling out a teleportation stone from her inner pocket, Ali held out her hand. Harry and Remus each touched the stone with a finger, Remus placing his other hand on Padfoot’s back. Closing her eyes, Ali concentrated and a moment later the four of them disappeared with a pop.

Miles away, the four landed in an alley about a half a block from the entrance to Diagon Alley. Ali had put a stone in that spot for convenience a couple of months ago. The four left the alley and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. Remus and Ali kept a sharp eye out, Harry between them while Padfoot walked in front. They made it through the Leaky without incident and entered the Alley.

Stepping to the side, Remus and Ali talked quickly before deciding to split up. Harry wanted to check out what was new in Quality Quidditch Supplies so he, Remus and Padfoot would head there. Ali would head to the pet shop to get her owl and the group would meet back up at the grocery store.

The group broke apart, the boys going one way, Ali another. It was a beautiful summer day and the alley was busy with people. Moving through the crowd, Ali kept a wary eye out, looking for danger. She reached Eeylops Owl Emporium after a few minutes of walking and entered. The air in the store smelled faintly of owl droppings and was loud with hoots. Smiling to herself, Ali began browsing the shelves. There were a lot of beautiful owls for sale and Ali was a bit overwhelmed. The shop bell tinkled but Ali didn’t look around, too focused on examining the owls. Her eyes eventually landed on a cage on the second to top shelf. Inside was a beautiful tawny owl. Unlike normal tawnies however, this one was a dark brown with barely any white feathers. The only exception was two small rings of white around his eyes. Looking at him, Ali had to giggle. It looked like the owl was wearing glasses. Turning to ask about the tawny, she finally noticed the other person in the store. It was a tall woman with long blonde hair who was currently talking to the owner of the shop.

“My son’s eagle owl seems to have developed a lung infection. I will be needing a potion to cure it.” The women told the owner with an imperial tone.

The owner nodded in understanding and walked to the backroom to collect the potion. The blonde woman turned and her face was revealed. Ali recognized her as Narcissa Malfoy. Several things clicked into place after recognizing her, and Ali marveled at her good fortune. Moving forward, Ali spoke a greeting.

“Lady Malfoy?” Ali asked politely, even though she was positive of the woman’s identity.

The blonde turned towards her and Ali extended her hand.

“My name is Alison Saint Clair, Lady Malfoy. I’m so glad I ran into you. I’ve been meaning to owl you.”

“Oh?” Lady Malfoy said, shaking Ali’s hand lightly.

Ali smiled wide, “Yes, Ma’am. I’ve been wanting to contact you since I arrived in England but I haven’t had the time. You see, I have recently been looking into my family tree and it came to my attention that I have some distant relatives living in England. My father, Phillip Saint Clair, is a French-American wizard. Looking back to when my family resided in France, it appears that the Saint Clair line and the Black line are distant cousins.”

Lady Malfoy look intrigued by this news and answered, “Indeed. I remember the Saint Clair line from my own family tapestry. I didn’t realize there were any of you left.”

“I’m the last actually.” Ali confided, “I am an only child and my mother passed quite a few years ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Lady Malfoy said.

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Ali said genuinely.

Lady Malfoy gave the young women a second more thorough examination. She noted that the woman was dressed in American rather than British robes.

“You are American.” Lady Malfoy stated.

“Yes, Ma’am, I am. I’m from New Orleans originally. My father’s family moved there from France a few generations back.”

Lady Malfoy nodded in understanding and Ali continued, “I was actually hoping I might be able to have tea with you sometime. I don’t know much about that side of my family and I’ve recently become very interested in my family history. I was hoping you might be able to answer some of my questions.”

Lady Malfoy took a moment to think over the request. The young woman before her seemed to be who she said she was. It wouldn’t hurt to entertain her for an afternoon. After al, it was always wise to cultivate new contacts. Decision made, she gave Ali a small smile.

“That would be lovely, Lady Saint Clair. I will owl you this afternoon to figure out the details. Where are you staying currently?”

“I was able to acquire an old manor house when I arrived in England last summer. My best friend and I spent a few months renovating it. The name is Wildwood. The closest town is the no-mag town of Plymouth. I’m currently spending the summer with my godson and some family friends.”

Lady Malfoy opened her mouth to ask another question but was interrupted by the return of the shop owner. She turned back to the counter, paid for the potion than returned her eyes to Ali. _She is an incredibly polite young woman._ Lady Malfoy thought, _if she is who she says she is, she would make a lovely addition to my monthly lady’s tea._

Sweeping towards the exit, Lady Malfoy turned back for a moment and said, “I shall owl you this afternoon. Let’s have tea sometime next week.” It wasn’t really a question. Ali nodded politely and the pair said their goodbyes. 

Smiling to herself, Ali marveled at her luck again. What were the chances that she would run into the one woman she had been needed to connect with? Ali had been trying to come up with a reason to contact her for months now. Shaking her head, she turned back to the task at hand. She asked the owner of the shop for more information on the tawny owl she had fallen in love with. Eagerly, the owner gave her information and several minutes later, Ali was leaving the shop, cage in hand. The owl, who she had named Specs, hooted at her softly. Ali smiled at him and promised him that she would let him out when they returned home. Happy with her success, she walked briskly towards the grocer. Remus and Harry were waiting for her outside when she arrived. Looking around, she spotted Padfoot a few feet away, lying on his back in the sun. Laughing at his silliness, Ali set Specs’ cage down next to Sirius and quickly entered the grocery store. Grabbing what she would need for the next couple of days, she was out in a few minutes. Returning to the boys, she gathered up Specs and the four headed back out the Leaky Cauldron.

Walking back to the alley they had arrived in, Ali passed the grocery bags to Harry. Digging in her pocket, she retrieved the stone that would take them home and held it out. Like before, Harry and Remus touched the stone while Remus laid a hand on Padfoot’s back. Seconds later, the group disappeared back home with a pop.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Landing back at the Manor, the group split up for the afternoon. Harry and Sirius to the quidditch pitch, Remus to the library and Ali back to her room to settle in Specs and send her letter. Entering her room, Ali put Spec’s cage on her desk before opening the bag she had gotten from the shop. Reaching in she pulled out a couple of bags of owl treats which she threw on her bed. She stuck her hand in again and pulled out further a shrunken down perch. Once it was out of the bag, the stand returned to its original size. Ali placed it in the corner near her desk. Unlatching the cage, she allowed Specs out. Hooting, he flew over and settled on the stand. Leaving him to get orientated, Ali picked up the cage and stored it in her closet. Once that was done, she returned to her desk where the letter to Gigi was sitting. Moving to her new owl, she said, “Would you mind? I have a letter I need you to take to my friend.” Specs hooted and offered her his leg. Smiling she began to attach it. “I know it’s a long flight to America but I’m grateful.” She said. Once it was attached, Specs nipped her finger affectionately and swooping out the window. Ali watched him fly west for a while before turning back to her bed to put the treats away.

The rest of the day passed quietly for everyone. Sirius and Harry spent the afternoon messing around on the quidditch pitch. Ali dragged Remus outside with his book. The pair spent the afternoon reading together in loungers on the patio. Eventually, Ali closed her book and began to prep dinner. She had gotten some fresh salmon and decided to grill it along with some veggies and potatoes. It was a simple but delicious meal. As she predicted, the boys, particularly Harry, begged her to watch another movie. Ali easily agreed and Sirus and Harry raced upstairs to choose a movie. Remus and Ali laughed at their silliness and followed more slowly. Entering the room, Remus and Ali found Sirius and Harry arguing over the movie. Ali put an end to it by demanding they watch a Disney movie. The boys seemed wary of her choice but quickly began laughing at the Genie from Aladdin. Ali could tell that Sirius, in particular, would be quoting it a lot going forward.

Like the night before, Ali and Sirius somehow ended up snuggled together on the couch. Harry continued to be oblivious but Remus noticed and gave Sirius a pointed look when Ali wasn’t looking. Sirius scowled at him and went back to watching the movie. Unconsciously, he pulled her closer into his side which she seemed to like.

After the movie was over, the four parted ways. Sirius walked Ali back to her room and hugged her tightly. Trying to ignore her growing feelings, she hugged him back. Breaking apart, he wished her good night before dropping a kiss on her forehead. Shaking her head, Ali turned and walked into her room. She was in bed and asleep in less than 10 minutes later.

The week progressed in much the same style; Dueling practice in the morning, Sirius and Harry goofing off in the afternoon while Ali and Remus either watched or read. At night, they continued the tradition of watching movies and each night Sirius walked Ali back to her room. Ali had come to look forward to the hug and forehead kiss even though she was still baffled by what it all meant.

Before they knew it, Sunday had arrived and with it the arrival of the Weasley’s. Ali had a larger teleportation stone for the occasion and at 5 to 10, popped over to the Burrow.

Walking up the back door, Ali smiled hearing the commotion coming from inside. Knocking on the door, Ali jumped when two loud pops sounded behind her. Turning quickly, she realized it was just the twins. 

“Passed your apparition test, I see.” She commented with a grin.

“With distinction!” one of the twins said. Ali made a mental note that she needed to figure out a way to tell the pair apart.

Before she could say anything else however, the door opened to reveal a harassed looking Mrs. Weasley.

“Hello, dear.” She said with a warm smile, “You’ll have to give us a minute, not everyone is ready quite yet.”

Ali smiled reassuringly and told her to take her time. The twins disapparated back up to their room to grab their trunks. Ali waited in the garden for a few minutes as the Weasley’s slowly trickled outside with their bags. The twins ended up being the last to come out but still managed to startle everyone by apparating in the middle of the gather people. Before Mrs. Weasley could begin scolding them however, Ali pulled out the stone and began giving instructions.

“It’s basically the same as a portkey, all you have to do is place a figure on the stone and I’ll be able to move us back to Wildwood.” Everyone nodded and gather around, slightly cramped. Once she was sure everyone was touching, Ali closed her eyes and the group vanished.

Appearing with a pop, the group spread back out. Ali glanced around, counting to make sure everyone had arrived. 6 of the 9 Weasley’s were staying with her. It was originally supposed to be 7, but something had happened with Percy and he had decided not to come. Ali hadn’t gotten the details yet.

Waving to the group to follow her, she led them up to the house. When it came into view, the Weasley’s were dumbstruck. Ali cringed, realizing too late that the obvious sign of wealth might be a bit of a slap to the face to the poor family.

“No wonder you said you could host all of us!” One of the twins exclaimed.

“Yeah,” the other continued. “This place is gigantic.”

Ali blushed and tried to ignore their looks.

“It’s a beautiful home, dear.” Mrs. Weasley said kindly, patting her arm.

Ali smiled at that and guided them around the fountain up to the front door. Before she could open it, however, it swung open to reveal Harry. Grinning wide, he jumped down the step to greet the group. Handshakes and hugs were exchanged before the group was able to make it inside. The Weasley’s were again stunned by the grandeur. Before they could comment though, Remus poked his head out of the library and Sirius appeared at the top of the main stairs. Hellos were exchanged again than Ali lead everyone on a tour. Reaching the residential wing, Ali turned left rather than right towards the guest rooms. She pointed out the male and female bathrooms at the end of the hall than began directing everyone to their room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went into the suite at the end of the hall opposite Ali. Next to them was Ginny who would be joined by Hermione on Wednesday. The twins were next leaving Ron in a room by himself next to the bathroom.

Ali apologized for the need to share rooms but everyone was too impressed by everything to care. While they were not quite as big as the suites, each room was still very large. Two queen beds had been placed in the rooms along with a large wardrobe near the secret entrances to the bunker. The walls were painted a soft cream color and felt very homey.

Seeing the large paintings reminded Ali and she shouted over the noise. Everyone quieted down and turned to look at her.

Glancing at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley briefly, Ali said, “Before we get distracted, I wanted to go over some of the safety features I’ve installed.”

The Weasley’s looked interested and Ali continued, walking to the painting hiding one of the entrances. Stopping in front of it, she gave the password. The painting swung open and the spiral staircase was revealed. Before going down, Ali flicked her wrist towards a nearby end table. A pad of paper and a pen flew towards her. Scribbling down the Secret, she passed it around for the group to read.

“The bunker is under Fidelius” She explained as each member of the Weasley family memorized the single sentence. Ron was the last to have it and passed it back to Ali. With another flick of her wrist, she summoned a small flame from a near candle and lit the paper on fire. Not used to her displays of elemental magic, the Weasley’s stared at the burning paper with wide eyes.

Noticing the staring, Remus smiled, commenting, “I was the same way for the first few days here. It’s really incredible to witness.”

Ali blushed in embarrassment at the compliment and moved to descend the stairs. The group followed with a range of curious expressions on their faces. Reaching the metal door she opened it and let everyone walk in.

Ron, Fred, and George all whistled when they entered. Ali blushed again and quickly began to explain all the safety measures she had built into the space.

“There are two dorms, one for boys and one for girls. Each dorm has 10 bunks so around 40 people can be down here comfortably. That doesn’t include the 6 beds in the infirmary along with the couches. If things really hit the fan, I think we can squeeze somewhere between 50-60 people down here.”

Everyone was impressed. Mr. Weasley walked over to examine the wall while Mrs. Weasley and Ginny poked their heads in the infirmary. Ron and Harry looked in the boys’ dorm and the twins began moving down the hall.

Seeing where the twins were headed, Ali waved everyone on. Mr. Weasley seemed very excited at the no-mag weapons but Ali dragged him away. Secretly, she was worried that he might accidentally hurt himself in his excitement. Opening the door to the training room, the group filed in.

Glancing at Mrs. Weasley briefly before beginning, Ali cleared her throat then said, “So, I had a chat with your mom a few days ago. Long story short, we decided it would be best to give y’all some self-defense lessons while you are staying here.” The kids looked excited and Harry nodded in confirmation, grinning big. “Don’t get too over-excited, it’s not going to be anything insane. Just some advance DADA lessons and a bit of dueling practice.” This didn’t calm the kids' excitement at all.

“How’d you manage to get around the Decree?” One of the twins asked.

Ali’s face lit with a mischievous smile.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” She replied cheekily and everyone laughed. “All you need to know is that this room along with the training area outside are warded in such a way that the ministry can’t tell that underage magic is being practiced.”

“Wicked!” the other twin exclaimed.

Everyone nodded in agreement and Ali continued the tour. She showed them the potions lab but just pointed out the other doors, not actually letting them inside. Once that was done, the group filed back into the main room and up the stairs.

The group decided to dispense to allow the Weasley’s a chance to unpack and settle in. Remus returned to the library with Sirius while Harry went with Ron to his room. Ginny walked off to her room with her parents leaving Ali alone with the twins. Before they could move back to their room, Ali indicated for them to stay. Glancing left and right, she waited a moment for the hall to empty. Noticing this the twin's interest was peaked. They remembered Ali’s comment at Hogwarts about a proposal and wondered if that was what she wanted. 

“Now isn’t the time,” She said in a quiet voice, “But later tonight, after the movie, I want to chat with you two in the bunker.” The twins exchange a long glance, seeming to communicate with their eyes. Turning back, they nodded and spoke,

“Alright, Ms. Saint Clair you have us intrigued…” George began,

“.....We’ll meet you in the bunker after the movie.” Fred finished. Both young men grinned at her, a mischievous look in their eyes. Bowing they walked into their room.

Ali shook her head good-naturedly before walking away. _Those two are going to be trouble_ , she thought. She just hoped that she might be able to harness that mischief for good.

Checking her watch, she realized that it was close to lunch. Redirecting her feet she walked to the kitchen. She then began to pull out sandwich makings. Using her magic, she set the sandwiches to making themselves and began pulling out plates and silverware.

The Weasley’s slowly trickled in as Ali set the table. Mrs. Weasley tried to help make lunch but there wasn’t much for her to do. She ended up insisting Ali allow her to cook dinner that night.

Once everyone was seated, Ali introduced the Weasleys to her pre-meal gratitude sharing. Everyone said one thing they were thankful for then the group dug into the sandwiches. Even though Ali had had a meal with some of the Weasleys before, it hadn’t prepared her for this. The sandwiches evaporated in record time and Ali ended up using her magic to float more sandwich makings onto the table. The room was loud, filled with the sound of talking and laughter. The twins and Sirius were sitting on one end, regaling the people around them with stories of different pranks they had played over the years. Remus and Mr. Weasley were sitting next to each other deep in discussion about the Order and what was happening at the Ministry. Ali and Mrs. Weasley were sat at the other end, generally observing the chaos. Occasionally, Molly would scold one of the children but Ali got the impression that she had learned to pick her battles.

Once lunch was over, Ali suggested that the group move outside. It was too beautiful a day to stay indoors. Everyone agreed and Harry suggested a pick-up quidditch game. The kids all agreed eagerly and everyone walked to the pitch. Once they got there, the kids started diving up the group into two teams. Remus, Sirius, and Mr. Weasley were talked into play and a 4-on-4 game began. Harry had tried to convince his godmother to play with them but she revealed that she had never actually learned how to fly a broom. The boys and Ginny were all astonished at what they felt was a terrible lack of experience. Sirius and Harry ganged up on Ali, making her promise to allow them to teach her.

The game was a fun one. On one team were Ginny, the twins, and Mr. Weasley while the other had Sirius, Remus, Ron, and Harry. They weren’t playing with bludgers so the twins played chaser on one team while Remus and Sirius played for the other. Ginny and Harry were seekers while Mr. Weasley and Ron were in goal. Mrs. Weasley conjured two comfy sun chairs for herself and Ali and the pair settled in to watch the game. It was a surprisingly well-matched game. The twins were fantastic at playing chaser because of their mental connection but Sirius and Remus gave them a run for their money. The scoring was close the entire time. Harry ended up making a fantastic catch about an hour and a half in. Everyone was sweaty and tired so they decided to shower before dinner. Ali got her chance to ask Mrs. Weasley to allow her to learn cooking from her and the pair threw together a fantastic roast chicken dinner.

As with lunch, dinner was a loud affair. Ali didn’t talk a lot, much preferring to listen and enjoy the environment. This was exactly what she had been hoping for when she pushed Harry to invite the Weasleys for the summer. It was chaos but the best kind. 

Dinner finished and Ali asked if anyone would be interested in watching a movie. The Weasleys, Mr. Weasley in particular, were enthusiastic about the idea of a movie. They had never seen one before. After learning this, Ali decided to go all out and cooked a bunch of popcorn. The living room couch that was normally plenty of room for the residents of Wildwood ended up being squished as everyone sat down. Several extra chairs ended up being dragged over so that everyone was comfortable. Ali decided to show another Disney movie since it was family-friendly. She chose Beauty and the Beast, which just so happened to be her favorite princess movie. Everyone settled back to enjoy the movie and popcorn. It ended up being a total success. Everyone had a blast and Ali promised that they could watch another one the next night. After it was done, the kids and adults all stood up and began to retire for the night. It took quite a while for Ali to escape Mr. Weasley, who was intent on Ali explaining exactly how the VHS worked.

Smiling and waving, she said goodnight to everyone. Muttering quietly to Sirius and Remus, she told them to meet her in the bunker then turned and walked back to her room. She gave everyone about 15 minutes to get back to their rooms before moving to her painting, saying the password and descending the stairs to the bunker.

Sirius and Remus had beat her there and were sitting on some couches waiting for her.

“What’s wrong?” Sirius asked a bit concerned.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Ali said reassuringly “I just need your help with a little project I’m putting into motion.”

Before either man could ask, the door opened a second time and the twins sauntered in. Looking around, the pair noticed that Ali wasn’t alone and looked a little wary.

“I invited all of you, boys.” She said in response to the twin’s looks. Before anyone could say anything, she continued, “If you could follow me, I have something to discuss with all of you.”

The boys all exchanged a look before following her down the hall. Ali stopped in front of her office and put her hand on the stone handle. Closing her eyes, she pulled at the wards and the door clicked open. Ushering them inside, she closed and locked the door. She was a bit nervous if she was honest. She had been very intentional in not showing anyone the inside of her office. Bracing herself for their reactions, she turned back to face them. Each man’s mouth had fallen open at the sight that was before them.

The room was a large space. Like the rest of the bunker, the floor was a gray stone. The walls were covered in light wood paneling on three sides. The fourth wall was entirely covered in cork. Directly in front of the door sat a large rectangular table. It was higher than normal tables and had 7 high back bar stools spaced around it on three sides. On the wall by the door were two sets of filing cabinets. Next to them was sat a set of armchairs and a black leather couch. A coffee table was in front of them covered in pieces of paper and parchment. In the far-right corner sat a massive desk. It was dark oak and Ali had two matching chairs placed facing it. A third larger spinning chair was situated behind the desk. The walls behind the desk were covered in shelves upon shelves of files. What was making Ali nervous wasn’t the mess or decorative style but rather the information that was tacked up on the cork boards. She had learned very early on that she was a visual learner and had embraced that knowledge. The corkboard was covered in newspaper articles, pictures of important witches and wizards in Britain, maps and pages upon pages of notes written in Ali’s handwriting. There was string connecting bits of information creating a web of information/ The twins whistled lowly at the detail while Remus moved closer to examine everything posted there. Sirius turned and looked at Ali incredulously.

“And I thought the Archives were intense.” He said, shaking his head. “What is all this?”

Taking a deep breath, Ali moved further into the room, pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down.

“This is me fulfilling my promise to Lily.” She said finally.

“You weren’t Auror in a past life, by any chance?” one of the twins asked jokingly.

Ali gave him a half-smile before returning her gaze to Sirius.

“Possibly.” She responded, “But mostly I think I’m just a bit of a control freak with organizational skills.”

That made Remus laugh, “‘A bit of a control freak’” Remus repeated, “Ali, this is information on every event related to the war, every possible person involved on both sides and what looks like a detailed plan to take down Voldemort.” Turning to face her, his face was a mix of shock and awe.

Ali blushed a bit but didn’t respond.

“While this is rather impressive…” Fred began, turning his gaze from the wall.

“…. what does this have to do with us?” George finished, looking at Alo.

Ali nodded at the question and said: “Why don’t y’all sit down, this is going to take a bit.” The four men took her advice and settled in the bar stools around the table. Looking down at the table, Ali nervously began straightened a few papers, giving herself a moment to calm down. Finally, she glanced up. She had a look on her face that the four men had never seen before. It was cold and calm with a distinctly calculating look.

“I’m assuming that you have acquired all of the information that was revealed after the events of the third task,” Ali said. The twins nodded and Ali continued. “Then you are aware that I am not actually a witch but rather an Elemental with a spirit gift of sight.” Again, they nodded. “When I visited your mother the other day, I revealed a vision I had many years ago. It was not long after Harry had been born before Lily asked me to be his godmother. I was holding him in my arms and I saw his future spread before my eyes.” Looking directly at Sirius, she said. “I saw our godson fighting for his life, all his protectors dead” Turning to Remus, “I saw your future son become an orphan,” Finally turning to the twins, she finished, “and I saw one of you die.”

The room was deathly quiet as they each absorbed the terrible news.

Ali took a deep breath and continued. “The level of death and destruction was so horrifically traumatizing I won’t describe it. All you need to know is that it saw the fall of the light. I saw Voldemort win.

“But there has to be something to do,” Remus said somewhat desperately. Gesturing at the room around them, he continued, “you wouldn’t have gone to all this length if it was hopeless.”

“You’re right,” Ali said nodding. “My visions are not set in stone. They can be changed with even the tiniest action. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 14 years. The future that I saw will not come to pass even if it is the last thing I do.” She said with fierce determination.”

There was another long moment of silence following that declaration before Fred broke in, “You still haven’t explained why we are here.” Glancing at his brother, he continued, “I know I speak for us both when I say we will fight to prevent what you saw but I got the impression you had something specific you wanted from us.”

“Exactly,” George continued “we’ll help in any way we can but I figured you asked us for our rather…specific talents.”

At that, Ali laughed and stood up. Walking to the shelves behind her desk, she pulled down two files. Returning to her seat, she placed the files side-by-side on the table in front of her. The boys craned their necks to see what was written on it. Fred Gideon Weasley was written on one while George Fabian Weasley was written on the other.

“Well, that’s not creepy at all,” George said.

“You got a file on everyone in there?” Fred asked curiously, glancing back at the shelves.

Ali’s only response was to give a mysterious smile. Opening the files, she began to read, “Fred Gideon and George Fabian born April 1, 1978, to Molly and Arthur Weasley. Fourth and fifth out of seven. Described by their peers as prankers with a good heart. Currently in their 7th and final year at Hogwarts.” Ali looked up from reading, “I find it interesting that you two only received 3 OWLs, especially when I see your IQ scores. Both of you score well within the genius range.”

“What can we say,” Fred said with a shrug, “Academic learning has never been a priority for us.”

“No,” Ali agreed “That’s very obvious. But I don’t for a second discount your brilliance because of that. If we look further down at your personality breakdown, a disinterest in structured academics combined with a general lack of respect for authority perfectly explains your school grades. But if I’m honest, I don’t care about your grades.” Ali closed the files and leaned towards the now very curious twins. “I care about your inventions. I’m not just being nice when I say that you two are geniuses. You two are accomplishing things with magic most people don’t think is possible and you are doing it at 17 with barely any resources.”

At the praise, Fred looked proud while George looked a little embarrassed.

“I know my godson gave you his Triwizard winnings to help you start your joke shop.” The twins looked shocked and Fred began to speak but Ali interrupted him, “Yes, I’m aware you plan to start a joke shop. No, Harry didn’t tell me about the money. No, I don’t plan on telling your mom. And No, I don’t plan on trying to stop you. In fact, I want to help you.”

Again, the pair looked shocked. Ignoring it, Ali continued, “Harry was absolutely right. What the world needs most right now are your jokes. Whether your parents see it or not, you are serving the wizarding world far more by opening your shop then you ever could by working for the ministry. You are going to be a beacon of light when we need it most and I’m so proud of you for it.”

The twins were completely stunned. Never before had someone see the value in their work. They were always overlooked or dismissed as silly pranksters. Fred and George glanced at each other and had one of their silent conversations. They knew Ali was going to ask them a favor and after the support she had given them, they agreed that they would help her no matter what she asked.

“As you have probably guessed,” Ali said with a smile, “I want to ask you for your help with some projects I have in the works.”

Fred and George both nodded before Fred responded, “Yeah, we figured that was where this was going. How can we be of assistance?” They gave her an identical mischievous smile.

“Well, it’s slightly more complicated than you might think but before we get to that I want you to know that my compliments and support aren’t the only payment you will be receiving. The main reason I built the potion lab is that I want you two to use it. I know you two tend to work on stuff in your bedroom but frankly, you’re at the point of needing a professional lab. And personally, I’d prefer it if you don’t start my house on fire. Also, the potion lab is fully stocked with everything you could possibly need. I tried to make it as inventor friendly as possible but please let me know if you need anything.” The twins nodded and Ali continued, “Which leads me back to the favor I want to ask you. Most of the time, I want you to focus on stuff for the joke shop. While I need your help, I don’t want to get in the way of your dreams. But I do have a couple of ideas for inventions that would make things a bit easier for me.” At that, Ali leaned down and pulled another file from under the table. She flipped through it before pulling out a piece of paper and handing it across to them. “I actually borrowed this idea of a no-mag organization called the Red Cross. The idea is to have everything in an emergency in an easy to grab bag.”

The twins read over the paper. By the time they finished, both boys had thoughtful expressions on their faces.

“I’m wondering if you might be able to make a small bag that could be filled with a large number of emergency supplies. My goal would be to have everyone in the Order along with all the children have one that they can grab if there is an attack. I also figured that when you manage it, it might be something you could sell. Which reminds me, I almost forgot.” Ali sits up straighter and in a formal voice says, “I want you to know, and Remus and Sirius, you two are the witnesses to me saying this, everything you make while you are staying here and/or using my lab is legally yours. You two retain all of the rights. Honestly, I don’t need the money and you two are doing all of the work.”

“That’s too much.” Fred choked out. 

“No, it’s really not. I’m offering you supplies and space in exchange for directing some of your inventing. In reality, if you can make any of my ideas, you could save hundreds of lives.”

Stunned into silence and completely overwhelmed, the twins agreed numbly to Ali’s deal. Smiling, she turned to Sirius and Remus. The pair had been quiet during the discussion but both were as impressed by Ali’s generosity as the twins were.

“Sirius, Remus, I also have a favor to ask.”

“If it’s anything like the twin’s favor, I can pretty much guarantee that the answer is going to be yes,” Sirius said drolly.

Ali flashed him a grin, “It’s actually not nearly as big as that. I mostly just wanted to ask if you would be willing to be available to help if they run into any trouble during the invention stage. Both of you are masters in different academic fields so you would be a great resource for them. I’m also planning on asking Hermione to help as well when she arrives on Wednesday.”

At that last part, Fred, George, and Sirius all burst out laughing.

“You honestly think Hermione would be willing to help us with inventing stuff for our joke shop?” George said once he had stopped laughing. “She’s so wound up in her love of rules she wouldn’t dare make something that might break one.”

It was Ali’s turn to laugh. The boys looked confused so Ali explained, “Y’all don’t know her that well, do you. Because if you did, you wouldn’t think that. If you knew the stuff that girl has gotten up to while at school...If even half the stories Harry has told me are true, Hermione has broken more school rules then all four of you combined.”

All four of the guys looked slightly offended at the last comment.

“Are you sure we are talking about the same Hermione? Bushy haired, goody two shoes, Hermione?” Fred asked, frowning. 

Again, Ali laughed, “She might be a goody-two-shoes but she is also Hermione ‘girl who secretly brewed polyjuice in a girls’ bathroom at age 12’. She’s the girl who is currently ensuring that both your brother and my godson get passing grades in school. She’s the girl that had a secret time turner for a year without anyone knowing. The time turner she used to save your life, mister” she said with a pointed look at Sirius. “Hermione might like to follow the rules but when push comes to shove, that girl will burn the whole world to the ground to protect someone she cares about, rules be damned. I don’t know about you but that sounds like someone I would want on my team."

Fred and George seemed intrigued by all the new information on Hermione. Glancing at each other, they had to admit that they might have misjudged her. Turning back to Ali, they agreed that Hermione should be asked to join them.

Finished with everything she wanted to discuss, the group began to disperse. Ali flicked her wrist and used magic to send the files and papers back to where they belonged. The twins huddled together, already beginning to plan the go-bags. Remus wandered back over to exam the corkboard again while Sirius sidled up to Ali.

“You never cease to surprise me, Ms. Saint Clair. You truly are an amazing witch.” Sirius said with a genuine smile.

Ali blushed and busied herself with sorting out papers.

“Well technically I’m not a witch, I’m an elemental and really organization and research aren’t that unique of a skill. Especially if someone has lots of time on their hands. It’s all for Harry after all.” She rambled.

Sirius reached out and used his hand to tilt her face back up towards him.

“That’s the most amazing part, Ali” Sirius said, before leaning down to drop a kiss on her forehead. Ali closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling. 

“Oi, Lovebirds! We’re trying to invent here. Mind doing that somewhere else.” Shouted a grinning Fred.

“Yeah, go canoodle somewhere else, you’re scaring our innocent eyes!” Added George.

Breaking apart, Ali blushed deeply and turned back to straightening out her papers. Sirius scowled and threw the twins the finger.

Laughing, Fred and George began gathering their things. It was getting late and they all needed to get to bed. The boys filed out of the office and back up the spiral stairs while Ali stayed behind to lock up. Sirius tried to loiter in the bunker but ended up being pulled away by a question from George. Once everyone was back upstairs, Ali shut off all the lights and trudged up her stairs, back to her room.

The night had been a success, she thought to herself. She was glad the twins had been willing to help and that she was able to connect them with the resources they might need. She was confident in their abilities. Getting ready for bed quickly, Ali flopped into bed. She was exhausted from the day. Trying not to think about the interaction she had just had with Sirius, she curled up and eventually dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know it probably wasn't necessary for Ali to give the Twins a hard sell with invention help but I wanted to outline the strengths the Twins have. I feel like they get overlooked a lot and could have been much more of an asset in the war.


End file.
